July 21, 2024

Despite reports that the military junta has retaken Singu Town, local residents and the People’s Defense Forces-Mandalay (MDY PDF) confirm that the resistance forces still control the town. This follows the successful capture of Singu by the MDY PDF on July 20, making it the first town in Mandalay Region to fall under their control.

On the night of July 20, at around 10 PM, military junta troops reportedly arrived via waterways and began shelling the town with artillery, causing hundreds of residents in western Singu to flee. A resident told New Day Myanmar, “The soldiers arrived in the town last night. There are few in number, and it seems they will attempt to reclaim the town through waterways. At around 10 PM last night, they shelled the town. I don’t know if there were any casualties. Some areas still have phone reception, so communication hasn’t been entirely cut off.”

The MDY PDF announced that they had taken over all junta camps in Singu Township by July 17 and fully controlled Singu Town by July 20. They declared that while the battle for Singu was arduous, they would not easily relinquish control back to the junta.

During the clashes in Singu, over 100 junta soldiers, including officers of Major rank and above, were captured. The MDY PDF has stated that they are detaining these prisoners in accordance with international laws governing the treatment of war captives.