NAY PYI TAW June 24
As riotous terrorists and NLD members/supporters are bent on bomb attacks in some large cities with intent to disrupt the government’s administrative machinery, security forces are taking security measures with great care to make arrests after trying to get information ahead of their attempts.
Acting on a tip-off that some terrorists were hiding along with arms and ammunition in Chanmyathazi Township, Mandalay Region, to commit destructive acts, security forces went to and searched a house at the corner of 111th Street and 54th Street on the morning of 22 June. Upon arrival there, they exchanged fire with the terrorists. Eight terrorists were killed in the gunfight and eight other were arrested together with homemade bombs, grenades and small firearms. According to interrogation, among the dead were Tu Po and Ko Yaing from the KIA with a rank of lieutenant.
According to further quest-ioning, searches were carried out on house No (54) at the corner of 115th Street and 50th Street in Chanmyathazi Township where PDF members were believed to be living by payingrents. During the searches, however, no suspects were found, and six homemade guns, 28 homemade bombs and acce-ssories used in making bombs were only seized.
The questioning of the culprits led to the knowledge that Mandalay PDF member Yan Lin Aung (aka) Moe Tein together with Wai Yan Lin (aka) Tun Tauk Naing would be coming along Bhamo-Ngaoh-Thabeik-kyin-Mandalay route bringing arms and ammunition to Mandalay city on 23 June. Therefore, security forces blocked the route and searched. In the afternoon, four persons namely Wai Yan Lin (aka) Tun Tauk Naing, Yan Lin Aung (aka) Moe Tein, Myo Min Tun and Sai Thet Paing Tun on board an Ertiga with a plate No 2P-5582 were arrested at Tagaung junction in Thabeikkyin Township.
After questioning them, it was learnt that the arms and ammunition would be carried in a six-wheeled truck. Arrest measures continued in the evening and 32 K2-5 long guns, 32 K2-5 guns, 40 M-79 LL guns, 10 779 Pading III-S guns with a total of 114 assorted guns, 248 cartridges, 10,000 rounds of K 2-5 ammunition, 499 hand grenades, 1,473 40-mm grenades, 35 remote controls and 25 packs (4.965 kilograms) of what assumed to be gun powder, 150 slings, one roll of electric fuse and three cartoons of detona-tors were found and seized on a Nissan six-wheeled truck, with plate No 8B-9757, at Wayongon Village at Mile Post 25 on Man-dalay-Bhamo road.
According to their accounts, the PDF members including Yan Lin Aung (aka) Moe Tein received training in Laiza where the KIA is headquartered is located from 21 March to 4 April with the help of former Hluttaw representative (2015) U Khin Maung Myint (aka) U Cho from NLD for the Amyotha Hluttaw constituency (5) in Kachin State. As they went to Laiza, there were also accompanied by former Pyigyitagon Town-ship Hluttaw representative (2015) Kyaw Soe Lin from NLD and former Kawlin Township Hluttaw representative (2015) Myo Zaw Aung in a private car. After the training, they planned to mobilize young people for training and when ready, they would be armed.
On 17 June, four persons including Wai Yan Lin (aka) Tun Tauk Naing went from Mandalay to Bhamo to carry firear-ms. On 18 and 19 June, they met with Sayar Lun from the KIA and planned to carry the guns from Mansi to Mandalay. Under the arrangement of KIA’s Sayar Lun, they loaded the guns and ammunition onto the six-wheeled truck and set off in Mansi on 22 June. They spent the night near Sinkham Bridge.
They continued the journey on 23 June. The truck first headed to Mandalay and the four persons including Wai Yan Lin (aka) Tun Tauk Naing followed. They were arrested at Tagaung junction and the truck was se-ized near Wayongon Village at mile post (25) on Mandalay-Bhamo Road.
The terrorists are attempting to cause public panic and harm community peace and tranquility in some townships, attack security forces with handmade bombs and automatic rifles with intent to disrupt their duties or cause damage or deaths. They are also doing training after contacting armed groups, giving training back, stockpiling guns and ammunition and mobilizing new recruits. At a time when security measures are being extended so that terrorists cannot lie in wait for attacks, the entire pub-lic are requested to participate and cooperate in promptly and further arresting more assailants for restoring community peace and stability as quickly as possible. Legal action will be taken against the arrested culprits in accord with the law while measures will be taken to arrest their associates.