Myanmar Spring Chronicle – June 10 View
(MoeMaKa, June 11, 2025):
Junta Jet Fighter Reportedly Shot Down in Pale Township
On June 10, in Pale Township of Sagaing Region, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) resistance group announced that it had shot down a junta jet fighter during an airstrike on Kandaung village, where PDF forces were attacking a police station.
The PLA stated that debris and burning wreckage from the downed jet could be seen in video footage, claiming credit for the shootdown. The incident happened during intensified battles as multiple resistance groups attempted to seize junta positions in the area.
This comes just weeks after the KIA (Kachin Independence Army) shot down a military helicopter during its months-long assault on Bhamo and junta Command Base 21—believed to have been struck by either a drone or a missile.
Multiple resistance groups are active in Pale Township. While PLA claimed the shootdown, there have been differing accounts. A local witness interviewed by Bo Thanmani (formerly the monk Sayadaw of Sapyae Aye Monastery), said that while the crash was welcome, he believed it was not a shootdown. Similarly, another PDF group spokesman named Bo Swan released a video showing the crash and claimed the jet went down on its own, not due to enemy fire.
The junta later confirmed that one of its jet fighters crashed during a training mission due to technical failure, but this statement was met with public skepticism, as the junta rarely admits the true cause of military losses.
The PLA, which claimed responsibility, was reportedly formed after the 2021 coup by former leaders of the Communist Party of Burma (CPB) and initially trained by the KIA. It now operates with a strength in the thousands, divided into four military zones, and is active in Ta’ang areas, Sagaing, Kokang, and Tanintharyi.
Due to its CPB roots, some other resistance groups and political actors refer to the PLA as a communist-aligned force.
While NUG-affiliated resistance forces under the Ministry of Defense operate in Sagaing, there are also numerous independent armed groups, including:
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PLA
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BPLA (Burman resistance force formed in Karen State)
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96 Soldier (formed by former student union leaders)
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BRNA (led by Bo Naga)
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Bo Thanmani’s forces
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Plus many small-scale, village-funded local militias
This incident highlighted fragmentation and lack of coordination among these groups. It also revealed tensions between independent and NUG-aligned units. Some observers now question how much military cooperation or competition exists among these groups.
Despite disagreements, most see the downed jet as a symbolic victory: evidence that resistance forces can now seriously threaten junta air power. The crash stirred public optimism, suggesting a shift from helplessness under air raids toward the possibility of real air defense capabilities.
Still, some military analysts caution that shooting down a fast, maneuverable jet like a fighter aircraft would require advanced point-defense systems—rare among resistance groups. This has led some to doubt whether it was truly shot down.
Regardless, the public widely celebrated the event as proof that junta airstrikes now come with real risks and consequences, and that resistance forces may now be capable of challenging aerial dominance. It marks a morale-boosting milestone in the ongoing struggle.