Hello. From this moment on, we will be presenting m.CDM’s domestic news updates.
The news we will present today includes:
- In Kyaukphyu, a State Administration Council military column hit landmines and at least 10 soldiers were killed. After suffering heavy losses, the military launched aerial bomb attacks on villages, killing one displaced civilian.
- A military airstrike on gold rafts on the surface of the Thaphanseik Reservoir killed 7 civilians, injured 18, and left 2 missing.
- The Mattara Myo Hman force has formally joined under the command of the People’s Defense Force (PDF).
- Myanmar is becoming a global hub for online scam operations, and U.S. intelligence has warned that if necessary, it may take action even inside the country.
We will also present other related news items.
⸻ - In Kyaukphyu, a junta military column hit landmines and at least 10 were killed; after suffering heavy losses, the military carried out aerial bomb attacks on villages, killing one displaced civilian.
m.CDM, March 19
It has been reported that junta troops advancing into territory controlled by the Arakan Army (AA) in Kyaukphyu Township, Rakhine State, hit landmines and at least 10 were killed.
On the morning of March 18, around 100 junta troops advanced into the area, leading to intense clashes. While trying to evacuate wounded soldiers, the junta troops entered a minefield laid by the AA, and at least 10 were killed on the spot.
After suffering losses in the ground battle, the junta forces repeatedly attacked Doe Taung Village in Kyaukphyu Township, where civilians were living, using airstrikes, drones, and heavy weapons.
At around 6 p.m. on March 18, a fighter jet dropped two bombs. U Tin Htee Khine, a 60-year-old man who had fled from Chaung Myaung Village to shelter in Doe Taung Village, was hit by bomb fragments and died instantly at the scene.
Also on March 18, at 11 a.m., three suicide drones dropped bombs, and after 6 p.m., another suicide drone carried out a further bombing. As a result, at least five houses were destroyed.
In addition, one navy vessel fired three heavy artillery shells toward Doe Taung Village.
⸻ - A military airstrike on gold rafts on the Thaphanseik Reservoir killed 7 civilians, injured 18, and left 2 missing.
m.CDM, March 18
The Kyunhla-Kantbalu Activists Group, Kantbalu District, has announced that a military airstrike on gold rafts operating on the waters of Thaphanseik Reservoir in Kyunhla Township, Sagaing Region, killed 7 civilians, injured 18, and left 2 missing.
The group said that at around 3 p.m. on March 15, two jet fighters from Homalin Air Base carried out three rounds of airstrikes on the gold rafts on the reservoir. This information was released on the night of March 18.
According to the statement, 7 civilians were killed, 18 injured, and 2 remain missing. Thirteen gold rafts were also destroyed.
A local resident who witnessed the attack said:
“We didn’t even hear the fighters coming. When steering the rafts, it’s very hard to know in advance. Only when we heard the first strike did people run in panic and dive into bunkers. With the sound of planes, exploding bombs, people screaming, and fires blazing, it felt like the end of the world. The dead were all young people—seven in total. Some bodies were intact, while others were burned beyond recognition. Two people’s bodies still haven’t been found; they may have sunk in the water. Eighteen people were injured. That’s only what we know; there may be more. The rafts caught fire, were destroyed, and sank.”
The military has been repeatedly conducting airstrikes under the pretext that civilians working on the gold rafts in Thaphanseik Reservoir are supporting the People’s Defense Forces (PDF).
On March 18 as well, at 9:40 a.m., 6:04 p.m., and 6:45 p.m., two jet fighters from Tada-U carried out three more airstrikes on the western side of Kyunhla Township. The Kyunhla-Kantbalu Activists Group said it is still investigating whether civilians were harmed.
Because supporters of the terrorist military have been posting and calling for the clearing of gold mining sites and oil-related areas inside Kyunhla Township, revolutionary forces have urged local residents to be especially alert to the danger of airstrikes.
⸻ - In Mattara, Kyunhla, Launglon, Tanintharyi, Hpasawng, and Thandwe townships, civilians were killed and injured due to junta atrocities.
m.CDM, March 19
Civilians living in towns and villages across Mandalay, Sagaing, Tanintharyi, Karenni, and Rakhine were killed and injured after junta troops carried out terror attacks using airstrikes, heavy artillery, drones, and landmines.
In western Mattara Township, Mandalay Region, junta troops attacked Moe Gyoe Village on the evening of March 18 with heavy weapons and drones. Although there were no civilian casualties, at least four houses were burned to ashes, and the entire village had to flee.
Likewise, in Kyunhla Township, Sagaing Region, two aerial bomb attacks were launched at around 6 p.m. on March 18 even though there was no fighting, forcing residents to flee.
In Launglon Township, Tanintharyi Region, Khamaung Taung Village was shelled at least four times with heavy weapons by junta troops based in Dawei on the evening of March 15, killing a man in his 50s.
Similarly, in Tanintharyi Township, Taku and Pawa village tracts were attacked by two kamikaze drones at around 9:30 a.m. on March 18.
During that attack, one child from Pine Taw Village in Pawa village tract was injured, while one drone that landed in Taku Village failed to explode.
In Karenni State, at 5:30 p.m. on March 19, junta forces dropped a 500-pound bomb from a fighter jet on 7-Mile area in Mawchi, Hpasawng Township.
As a result of the explosion, a 40-year-old man died instantly, and some houses and domestic animals were also affected.
In Thandwe Township, Rakhine State, U Kyaw Min Tun, who was sheltering in Maw Yone Village, stepped on a landmine laid by junta troops while out gathering firewood at around 7 a.m. on March 18, losing his left leg.
⸻ - The Mattara Myo Hman force has formally joined under the command of the People’s Defense Force (PDF).
m.CDM, March 19
The Mattara Myo Hman force, based in Mattara Township, Mandalay Region, has officially joined under the command of the Ministry of Defense of the National Unity Government (NUG), according to an announcement.
The group is described as a strong revolutionary organization that had fought alongside PDF battalions, local defense teams, and Pa Ka Pha units in the Shan-Mann operations and subsequent defensive battles.
The Ministry of Defense said it had invited armed groups to come under a single command structure in order to avoid fragmentation during broader offensives and to strengthen unity and coordination. Leaders of the Mattara Myo Hman force reportedly accepted the proposal in consideration of the revolution’s interests.
As a result, the Mattara Myo Hman force is now officially a component of the People’s Defense Force and continues fighting against military dictatorship under systematic command.
⸻ - In Ledo, Myaing, and Hpruso townships, 8 junta personnel—including forcibly conscripted recruits—defected.
m.CDM, March 20
It has been reported that eight members of junta forces, including forcibly recruited conscripts and a sergeant, surrendered and defected separately in Bago Region, Magway Region, and Karenni State.
In Ledo (Kyaukkyi) Township, Bago Region, three conscripted soldiers serving at Thanzit camp under Infantry Battalion 350 surrendered to KNLA Battalion 9 on March 19, according to the KNU.
Those who defected were identified as 34-year-old Maung Min Htet, 28-year-old Maung Phoe Thel, and 18-year-old Maung Phoe Thar. They were reportedly among those forced into military service against their will.
In Myaing Township, Magway Region, a sergeant and a private from the Pyu Saw Htee camp in Twinma Village defected to the Naga Ni People’s Defense Force on the afternoon of March 18, bringing their weapons and ammunition.
The defectors were Sergeant Zaw Gyi and Private Zin Min Aung from Pakokku Infantry Battalion 258. They brought one MA-1 rifle, one MA-3 rifle, four magazines, and 80 rounds of ammunition.
Private Zin Min Aung was from conscription batch 10, and the Naga Ni force stated that both men would each be awarded 2 million kyats.
Likewise, in Hpruso Township, Karenni State, three conscripted soldiers from Light Infantry Battalion 518 defected unarmed to the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force on March 18.
The defectors were Ko Tin Htwe from batch 10, and Ko Ye Myo Aung and Ko Moe Aung from batch 19. They reportedly escaped while on sentry duty in Nan Hpai Village.
⸻ - In Myingyan, revolutionary forces resisted a joint junta–Pyu Saw Htee column, killing at least 10.
m.CDM, March 19
In Myingyan Township, Mandalay Region, local defense forces resisted a joint military column of junta troops and Pyu Saw Htee militia that had come out to burn and destroy civilian homes, killing at least 10, according to the Myingyan 21 Guerrilla Force.
On March 17, the joint column advanced from Taungkyun Village toward Peta Village, and clashes broke out three times in a single day.
During the nearly three-hour battle, revolutionary forces fought fiercely in defensive positions. In the third clash, the junta side suffered heavy losses and retreated in disarray.
Witnesses said that at least 10 junta troops and Pyu Saw Htee members were killed, about 20 were wounded, and the bodies of those killed were collected the following day.
The attack was carried out jointly by Myingyan 21 Guerrilla Force, TFM Guerrilla Force, One More column, Moe Shay Dar Yarm, and other allied groups.
⸻ - In Min Tun Township, an attack on a military column coming to rotate troops at Kyauktaing base killed 2 soldiers and injured 1.
m.CDM, March 19
The Burma Army Defense Force (USBA) announced on March 19 that an attack on a junta military column heading to rotate troops at the Kyauktaing base in Min Tun Township, Magway Region, killed two soldiers and seriously injured one.
The column, based out of Defense Products Industry 12 in Thayet Township, consisted of around 70 troops combining armored vehicles and infantry. It was attacked at 10 a.m. on March 18 while heading to the Kyauktaing base.
A clash broke out near Khuntaing Village between the column and the USBA. Two junta soldiers were killed and one was seriously wounded. The dead were reportedly taken back to Defense Products Industry 12.
Because the battle lasted only around 10 minutes, the USBA reportedly suffered no casualties.
The USBA also fought a close-range battle on March 15 in Sinpaungwe Township, which is fully controlled by the junta, killing two soldiers and injuring three.
⸻ - Two villages in Pakokku Township where militia and military forces were stationed were attacked with short-range rockets, says COBRA ONE.
m.CDM, March 19
COBRA ONE of the Pakokku Township People’s Defense Team announced on March 19 that two villages in Pakokku Township, Magway Region, where militia groups and junta troops were stationed, were attacked with short-range rockets.
The Shin Ma Kan Pyu Saw Htee base was attacked with three short-range rockets at 10:30 a.m. on March 17, and four more at 4:40 p.m. The rockets reportedly exploded near enemy positions, causing fires and some injuries.
The revolutionary forces said the attack took place while a 70-strong junta column that had been looting around Kamma town was present inside Shin Ma Kan militia village.
After suffering losses, the militia and junta troops called in two reinforcement vehicles from Division 101 based in Pakokku at around 7 p.m. Later, the junta column withdrew the next morning, and the Shin Ma Kan militia fled to Aung Thar militia village.
On March 18, after receiving information that a meeting would be held at West Makyikan militia village, revolutionary forces also attacked it with three short-range rockets at about 1:30 p.m. The rockets exploded near the village.
These attacks were jointly carried out by the COBRA ONE artillery unit of Pakokku Township and the Ayeyar Daung force.
⸻ - The NUG Ministry of Health provided healthcare to people freed from military hostage-taking and to displaced civilians.
m.CDM, March 19
The Ministry of Health of the National Unity Government (NUG) provided healthcare and words of encouragement to civilians who had been freed from being held hostage by the terrorist military, as well as to internally displaced people.
More than 300 local civilians from Nyaunglebin Township, Bago Region, had been taken hostage by the military, but were rescued by a joint KNU-PDF force. The NUG Ministry of Health announced on the night of March 18 that it was providing medical treatment and encouragement to those who had regained freedom and to displaced civilians.
It is reported that four military columns of around 100 troops led by Division 77 entered Yae Twin Kone, Kharu Kone, and Kyaung Kone villages in Nyaunglebin Township at around 5 a.m. on March 5, arresting more than 300 civilians and killing over 40.
Due to torture and killings by the terrorist military, more than 40 innocent civilians died, including three children, one pregnant woman, and elderly people.
The NUG Ministry of Health stated that the military’s arrest, torture, and killing of more than 300 villagers as hostages constituted war crimes.
⸻ - Myanmar has become a haven for transnational crimes and is directly threatening regional stability.
m.CDM, March 19
Myanmar has become a haven for transnational crimes and is now directly threatening regional peace and stability, said Myanmar’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador U Kyaw Moe Tun.
He made the remarks during the general discussion segment of the 70th session of the Commission on the Status of Women, held on March 17 at UN Headquarters in New York.
The ambassador said that since the military coup, systematic injustices inflicted on the population have escalated to unprecedented levels, and women and girls are suffering the most.
He explained to attendees that the military’s daily arbitrary arrests, killings, and indiscriminate aerial bombings have caused the domestic legal system to collapse, turning it into merely a tool of the junta.
He also said that the courts had become puppets under the junta’s control, leaving victims denied justice.
Despite these difficulties, courageous women, human rights defenders, and local activists are fighting on the front lines of the revolution. In liberated areas, local revolutionary authorities and ethnic resistance organizations are building community-based governance systems, delivering essential public services, and working to establish justice mechanisms for vulnerable groups.
Therefore, Ambassador U Kyaw Moe Tun called on the international community to fully support the Myanmar people’s efforts to completely end military dictatorship and establish a federal democratic union.
He added that only when a federal democratic union emerges in Myanmar will there be lasting and durable peace and stability, and women and girls will be able to enjoy equal justice, fully participate in political processes, and exercise their fundamental rights without exception.
⸻ - Myanmar is becoming a global hub for online scam operations, and U.S. intelligence warns it may act inside the country if necessary.
m.CDM, March 19
U.S. intelligence agencies have warned that Myanmar is becoming a central hub for global online scam operations and transnational crime, and that if necessary, they may carry out operations even inside the country to suppress these scam networks.
At a Senate hearing on March 18, FBI Director Kash Patel said the United States would eradicate online scam syndicates based along the borders of Myanmar, Thailand, and Cambodia that are defrauding Americans out of millions of dollars.
“If we are going to dismantle these scam compounds, then we need to go into those countries and make sure not a single compound remains,” the FBI director said explicitly.
At present, the FBI has reportedly already begun cooperating with Thai police on suppression efforts and has held discussions with prime ministers of countries in the region.
At the same time, U.S. intelligence agencies’ annual report for 2026 described the situation in Myanmar in alarming terms.
It said that since the military coup and the breakdown of law enforcement, Myanmar has become a hub for scam operations, drug production, and human trafficking, and is becoming a “sanctuary for criminal gangs.”
Although China pressured the Myanmar military and ethnic armed groups to crack down on scam syndicates, the report stated that criminal gangs linked to China continue to play a leading role in these illegal enterprises.
As the Myanmar military continues losing territorial control, it is increasingly relying on airstrikes, leading to rising civilian deaths and an ever-worsening humanitarian situation. The report also assessed that the military was under greater military pressure in early 2026.
The United States views scam operations based in Myanmar as a direct threat to the security of the broader Indo-Pacific region and has indicated that it will continue effective suppression efforts.
On March 18, Thai police arrested seven Chinese nationals and three Myanmar nationals in Kanchanaburi Province who were reportedly on their way to scam compounds in the Three Pagodas Pass area on the Thailand-Myanmar border.
It is reported that they were relocating toward the Myanmar border after facing crackdowns in Cambodia and were arrested while waiting to cross the border.
The news presented above was contributed by Ko Thit and Lu Lay.