Battle of Laukkai

Battle of Laukkai
Part of Operation 1027 in the Myanmar civil war

  Gains made by anti-SAC forces
Date15 November 2023 – 5 January 2024
(1 month and 3 weeks)
Location
Laukkai
Laukkaing Township
China-Myanmar border
23°41′41″N 98°45′52″E / 23.69472°N 98.76444°E / 23.69472; 98.76444
Result MNDAA victory
Territorial
changes		 MNDAA captures Laukkai and surrounding areas
Belligerents

State Administration Council

Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and allied forces
Commanders and leaders
Units involved

 Tatmadaw

Three Brotherhood Alliance:

Strength
2,400+[2][3] Unknown
Casualties and losses
90+ killed
2,479 surrendered.[3][2]		 Unknown
8+ civilians killed, 25+ injured.[4]

The Battle of Laukkai was a military offensive conducted by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) encircling and capturing Laukkai, the capital of the Kokang Self-Administered Zone (Kokang SAZ) in northeastern Myanmar. The battle was part of the larger Operation 1027, a joint military operation conducted by the Three Brotherhood Alliance coalition of three ethnic armed organisations and part of the overall renewed civil war in Myanmar.[5]

Chinshwehaw, a key border town and main entrypoint into Kokang on the Lashio-chinshwehaw Road was seized on the first day of Operation 1027.[6] In the second half of November, the MNDAA encircled the town of Laukkai taking several key outposts. They began attacking in southeastern Laukkai city on 1 December.[7] On 3 December, they captured the Four Buddhist Statues Hill capturing all territory south of Laukkai. There was a brief respite in fighting in mid-December as peace talks were attempted. They were unsuccessful and on 18 December, fighting resumed north of Laukkai. The MNDAA captured key border towns and gates on 19 December and began pushing into the city.[8]

On 26 December, the Tatmadaw's military and the Border Guard Forces led by Bai Suocheng in Laukkai surrendered to the MNDAA. By 28 December, the MNDAA had taken control of most of the city.[4][9] Remaining junta personnel surrendered on 4 January and up to 1000 personnel evacuated to Lashio.[10]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference sazmyanmarnow was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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  5. ^ "Operation 1027 poses rare challenge to Myanmar junta". 10 November 2023. Archived from the original on 17 November 2023. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
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  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference gate was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Peck, Grant (5 January 2024). "Armed ethnic alliance in northern Myanmar is said to have seized a city that was a key goal". AP News.
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference evac was invoked but never defined (see the help page).