Regime troops backed by airstrikes are pouring into Magwe Region’s Myaing Township as the battle for Myanmar’s oilfields escalates, forcing thousands of residents to flee.
Reinforcements from the Light Infantry Division in Pakokku, an hour to the south, are bolstering the offensive to seize territory — nicknamed “Anyar Dubai” for its oil wealth — from resistance groups.
Resistance forces have controlled the area since 2022, repelling repeated efforts to choke off their crucial revenue stream. However, a regime offensive backed by 1,000 troops gained a foothold on May 24, seizing the Well-2 oil field in Tae Gyi village.
The latest push began on October 18, when regime reinforcements arrived in Kamma town, Pakokku Township while gyrocopters bombed the nearby village of Ohntaw, killing five people, including children, and injuring four others.
On Monday, the troops arrived in Myaing’s Twinma village, controlled by regime-aligned militia, and set up camp there. According to Sayar Htwe from the Anyar Myay Civil Society Organization, up to 5,000 residents fled neighboring villages as airstrikes and troops advanced.
“We have no information on where the troops are heading, but we can assume they are reinforcements for Tae Gyi village,” Sayar Htwe told The Irrawaddy.
Regime troops suffered heavy losses in the three-month battle for Tae Gyi, where they are now encircled and entirely reliant on airdrops for ammunition and supplies.
On September 28, the regime reported that troops had seized 131 small-scale oil rigs in the area, torching some to prevent them from falling back into resistance hands.
On Monday, the Magwe resistance’s Anyar Myay Coalition urged the public to remain on high alert for airstrikes and attacks, as regime troops were mobilizing in Pakokku, Myaing and Pauk townships. It warned that regime troops camped in Tae Gyi had killed around 50 civilians and torched 600 houses since May.
