Operation 1027

Operation 1027 (Burmese: ၁၀၂၇ စစ်ဆင်ရေး, MLCTS: 1027 cac hcang re:, Burmese pronunciation: [tə.sʰɛ̀ n̥ə.sʰɛ̼.kʰóʊɴ sɪʔ.sʰɪɴ.jè]) is an ongoing military offensive conducted by the Three Brotherhood Alliance, a military coalition composed of three ethnic armed organisations in Myanmar: the Arakan Army (AA), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), and Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), allied with other rebel forces in the country, against the Tatmadaw, Myanmar's ruling military junta. The joint rebel forces launched simultaneous attacks on multiple targets in northern Shan State, targeting the Myanmar Army, the Myanmar Police Force, and other military installations along the border with China. The Brotherhood Alliance successfully took control of the strategically important Kokang Self-Administered Zone (SAZ) following their decisive victory in the Battle of Laukkai. The offensive has sparked rebel offensives outside Shan State and across the country, including the Rakhine Offensive in Rakhine State, Operations 1107 and 1111 in Kayah State, and other offensives in Sagaing Region and Chin State. Resistance forces across the country captured scores of towns, with the Brotherhood Alliance claiming by 28 November 2023 to have captured over 220 junta positions. The surprise offensive's series of victories against the military regime have led observers to call it "by far the most difficult moment" for the regime "since the early days of the coup." The regime has been unable to effectively respond to the wave of losses it has suffered, resorting to indiscriminate shelling and airstrikes to retaliate. The sides agreed to a ceasefire in December, but the agreement quickly collapsed. The sides agreed to another China-brokered ceasefire for northern Shan State on January 11, but following skirmishes and allegations that the regime had conducted airstrikes in violation of the ceasefire's terms, the ceasefire broke down in June as rebel forces resumed offensive actions.

Background

=== Ethnic rebellion and conflicts === The major rebel coalition that has fought during Operation 1027 is the Three Brotherhood Alliance, which is composed of three established anti-government ethnic armed organizations (EAOs). One of these is the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), an ethnic armed organization whose members are of the Kokang Chinese ethnicity. The other two members of the group are the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), which operates in Shan State, and the Arakan Army that operates in Rakhine State. During Myanmar's conflict, the military has struggled to enforce its power over ethnic minority regions, as it mainly recruits from the Bamar majority population who are mostly unfamiliar with the language and landscapes of ethnic areas. To compensate, it has made deals with some local militias in which the militias agree to be subordinated as Border Guard Forces (BGFs), but have retained large amounts of autonomy. In exchange for following the military's orders "to some extent", the leadership of these groups are able to run businesses. Following two years of persistent efforts across various regions of Myanmar, the Myanmar military found its resources increasingly strained by late 2023. On 9 October 2023, the military attacked Mung Lai Hkyet base, three kilometers north of Laiza, the headquarters of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), a close ally of the Brotherhood Alliance. KIA Lieutenant General Gun Maw stated in an interview that the conflict had been brought to the KIA's doorstep, necessitating a military counteraction.

=== Cyber-scamming in Myanmar since 2021 === Due to the corruption within the Tatmadaw and the lack of their control on the borderland, many armed groups on both sides began in the fields of mining and trade, but moved towards more illicit business over time, like gambling and cyber-scamming, in which the latter gained the most attention. The cyber-scamming industry has particularly plagued Myanmar since the February 2021 coup. The military junta has worked with Chinese criminal gangs to traffic over 120,000 people into the country. These fraud factories have earned billions of dollars in revenue for the junta and the gangs that operate them. Criminal gangs have trafficked Chinese nationals and others including as Indian, Cambodian, Vietnamese, Thai, Malaysian, Tajik, Filipino and Kyrgyz people through various other Southeast Asian and Central Asian gangs. In Northern Myanmar, they were forced to work in inhumane and degrading conditions. According to Vietnamese charity organization Blue Dragon, trafficking victims were forced to work in scamming operations. They were held against their will and forced to sell their organs if they failed to meet quotas. The cyber-scamming militias have been a significant disturbance to Myanmar's neighbor China in particular, from where individuals have been led to Myanmar under false pretenses and then forced into fraud factories. As a result, China has exerted pressure on the regime to end the practice, and had been actively working with the Three Brotherhood Alliance to extricate individuals with pending Chinese warrants. According to an emergency meeting of the National Defense and Security council, the junta leader Min Aung Hlaing noted that long-standing tensions and scam call centers along the border were exacerbated by Chinese investment. On 20 October 2023, a rescue attempt by prisoners at a cyber-scamming facility in Laukkai within the Kokang SAZ resulted in a massacre in which fleeing prisoners were killed by guards. The facility and the paramilitary forces were under the control of cybercrime ringleader and former pro-military member of parliament Ming Xuechang. Reports allege that upwards of 80 people were killed, and that four undercover Chinese police officers had been buried alive. This incident has been credited with forcing China to tacitly allow anti-junta forces to begin Operation 1027.

Timeline

Operation 1027 (Phase 1)

October 2023

===== 27 October ===== The Three Brotherhood Alliance released a joint statement declaring the start of Operation 1027 on 27 October 2023. The alliance had the combined capability to draw on 15,000 troops. The statement detailed the primary objectives of the operation, being to:

Safeguard the lives of civilians Assert [their] right to self-defence Maintain control over [their] territory Respond resolutely to ongoing artillery attacks and airstrikes perpetrated by the State Administration Council [Eradicate] the oppressive military rule [Combat] the widespread online gambling fraud that has plagued Myanmar, particularly along the China–Myanmar border At 4:00 am, the MNDAA attacked military bases in Kokang and reported that junta forces had been killed and some captured along with their weapons. Reports indicated that the TNLA captured junta's 13 Mile Camp and Microweave Camp on the Namhkam-Namphatka Road in Namhkam Township. The MNDAA reportedly had seized control of the town of Chinshwehaw and blocked the Lashio-Muse Highway and Lashio-Chin Shwe Haw Road to prevent the regime from bringing reinforcements along these routes. The regime responded with aerial bombardments and heavy shelling. The SAC's spokesperson Major General Zaw Min Tun confirmed that fighting had occurred near Hsenwi and some security police stations and militia stations were destroyed. He also admitted that some security forces personnel were killed and injured, but did not provide an exact number. According to Al Jazeera, the German news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur reported that about 20 soldiers were killed in an attack on one of the customs offices in Chinshwehaw. A member of Luakkiang's police force reported that 17 police officers were killed after the MNDAA attacked checkpoints. The Bamar People's Liberation Army (BPLA) stated it was involved in the operation alongside the Brotherhood Alliance, which has been training BPLA fighters. The AA engaged in multiple skirmishes with junta forces in Htigyaing Township, a township bordering northwestern Shan State in Sagaing Region. The AA claimed multiple junta casualties after clashes south of Mt. Mawkun. Nine rebel groups raided a military checkpoint on the Taungtha-Myingyan road in the Taungtha Township. The groups used drones to bomb the base before their assault, and claimed to have killed 20 junta troops. Other rebels ambushed a junta convoy bringing reinforcements, but were forced to withdraw. A child and a woman were killed and at least 5 others were injured due to an artillery strike on Namphatka village in Kutkai Township.

===== 28 October ===== According to rebel sources, the MNDAA ambushed junta soldiers coming from Hopang and seized three junta outposts — two of them near the China-Myanmar border in the town of Mong Ko. They also claimed to have defeated paratroopers dropped near Chinshwehaw and captured paradropped weaponry. The TNLA claimed to have seized three outposts in Namhkam Township and two outposts in the Lashio area. Junta spokespeople acknowledged losing certain outposts and expressed their desire for peace and stability. About 600 IDPs from Lashio were displaced by heavy weapons and gunfire through the 27th and 28th. Clashes disrupted roads and villages near Lashio, including the Hopaik toll gate on the Lashio-Muse Highway. However, Lashio itself remained mostly untouched. The Mandalay-Lashio road and the Hopaik Toll Gate, which saw fighting on the 27th, returned to normal on the 28th. Fighting, however, continued to occur further away from Mandalay towards Kyaukme, Hsenwi, and Kutkai.

===== 29 October ===== Clashes in Htigyaing Township continued into 29 October with the junta dispatching air force planes to engage in the area. A TNLA-led force, alongside Mandalay PDF forces, attacked a junta camp in Kyaukkyan village, three miles from the town of Nawnghkio. The junta retreated from the camp, moving towards a missile site on the Nawnghkio-Yetsawk road. At the same time, another rebel contingent attacked and captured junta personnel on the Goktwin Bridge on the Nawnghkio-Kyaukme road near the Goteik viaduct cutting off access along the Mandalay-Muse Union Highway. Other TNLA and PDF groups attacked a military unit near Ahtet Nyaung Kone, in Mogok Township.

===== 30 October ===== Five clashes continued through northern Shan State, including at an outpost in Hsenwi Township and the Hsenwi General Administration Department office. The Brotherhood Alliance further claimed to have captured junta forces in Mongli village, Hsenwi Township, and to have surrounded Nawnghkio Township. By the end of 30 October, the Brotherhood Alliance claimed to have captured a total of 67 army outposts and taken 34 junta personnel as prisoners. The rebel forces were also able to capture two Ukrainian-made MT-LBMSh armored vehicles from the Junta. Four WMA301 105mm fire support vehicles were also destroyed by rebel groups in several days' fighting. The TNLA and MDY-PDF were also able to capture areas around the town of Nawnghkio. A spokesperson for the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) stated that the group was collaborating with the Brotherhood Alliance as part of the operation, and reaffirmed their shared goal of toppling the military junta. The Alliance also announced that they were cooperating with the KIA in the battles in Sagaing.

===== 31 October ===== At around 5 am, joint KIA and AA forces attacked Maliyan camp near the Kantawyang junta base on the Myitkyina-Bhamo road in Waingmaw Township. The battle involved airstrikes from the Myanmar Air Force which reportedly destroyed six houses after attacks aimed towards Aungja. The junta lost control of the base to rebel forces in the morning. Heavy weapon firing and aerial attacks continued in the area, including strikes targeted towards Laiza, the headquarters of the KIA. During the attack, the commander of the junta's 387th battalion was killed. The Tatmadaw's 71st Infantry Battalion reportedly arrested around 20 refugees to use as human shields and allegedly mutilated seven of them in Tabayin.

November 2023

===== 1 November ===== On 1 November, the Junta arrested around 200 foreign workers to use as human shields at the front line of Laukkai.

===== 2 November ===== By 2 November 92 junta bases and four towns had been captured by the Brotherhood Alliance and its allies. It was also reported that 14 civilians had been killed by junta shelling and airstrikes since the start of the operation. The Alliance claimed to be in "complete control" of both Chinshwehaw and Hsenwi. The Three Brotherhood Alliance also imposed a siege on Nawngkhio, blocking junta troops from all of northern Shan. Peng Hseng, a border town east of Muse, also came under alliance control.

===== 3 November ===== Rebel forces occupied Kawlin's police station on 3 November after simultaneous attacks on at least 10 junta positions in eight townships across Sagaing and Magwe regions as part of the operation. The NUG Ministry of Defense said that at least six junta camps and police stations had been seized by rebel forces in northern Sagaing in Kawlin, Kantbalu, Kyunhla, Wuntho, Kalewa, Kale, Homalin and Tamu townships.

===== 4 November ===== By 4 November 106 junta bases and four towns has been captured by the anti-junta alliance in the states of Shan and Kachin. Myanmar's junta launched several airstrikes in Kawlin, Sagaing Region, as rebel forces attacked regime strongholds, according to residents. The KIA, AA and ABSDF are fighting alongside PDF and LPDF forces in the Sagaing-Magway front as part of the operation. During the conflict, a shell landed on the Chinese border, causing the death of one Chinese citizen and multiple injuries to others.

===== 6 November ===== After assaulting Kawlin for three days, KIA, AA and PDF combined forces were finally able to capture the town. Namhkam was also taken by the TNLA. Only one junta base remains on a hill about two miles from the town. AA and MNDAA forces were also able to seize Panlong base in Kunlong Township. Brigadier General Aung Kyaw Lwin, commander of the 99th Infantry Division, was killed in the battle. It's also reported that the Junta launched daily artillery strikes and air strikes on the city of Laiza as retaliation for its massive losses. It was reported that more than 20 civilians, including 3 children, had been killed by junta airstrikes and shelling since the beginning of the operation.

===== 7 November ===== The town of Khampat in Sagaing Region was taken by the PDF. The battle for the town started on 4 November. In three days, all the police stations and military camps were captured by the rebel forces. The town came under the complete control of the PDF forces on the morning of 7 November. KIA and Chin National Defense Force (CNDF) forces also participated in the assault. The city of Mong Ko along the China-Myanmar border was captured by the MNDAA. Mongko base, one of the most important bases in Northern Shan State, was also captured by the MNDAA. They captured ammunition and other military equipment, including an armored car. In southeastern Kayah State, the Karenni Nationalities Defence Force launched Operation 1107 in support of Operation 1027, capturing three junta bases in Maesae Township within the day. It was the first skirmish to happen in the region since the start of the operation.

===== 8 November ===== Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing called up all military reservists to prepare for military operations after the high losses experienced in the fighting. Military doctors still studying for degrees have also been called to front-line combat. The TNLA gained control of the last remaining Tatmadaw base in Namhkam, killing 13 junta soldiers while capturing 3 others as well as 30 pieces of ammunition.

9 November

The junta lost control of the city of Kunlong. Junta forces attacked a camp manned by TNLA and MDY-PDF forces near Ommkha village near Nawnghkio with three armored cars. One of the armored cars was destroyed and captured by TNLA/MDY-PDF forces and the two remaining armored cars retreated. The KIA also captured three military bases in Hpakant Township. In Kalewa, the PDF engaged the junta in a battle in which 10 Tatmadaw soldiers were killed, and 50 weapons were seized by the rebels. The same day, the Junta summoned all its reserves into action.

===== 10–11 November ===== A junta group consisting of about 200 combatants were attacked on their way to Kawlin by local PDF forces on 10 November. The battle lasted for about three hours. The PDF claimed that they had seized about 50 firearms. The MNDAA skirmished with junta forces in Kunlong. A combined force of the PDF, KIA, AA, and ABSDF continued to assault Htigyaing. The junta forces received support from aircraft bombing the town. On 11 November, it was reported that more than 300 junta soldiers and allied junta-aligned militia members had surrendered to rebel forces since the beginning of the operation.

===== 12 November ===== The TNLA attacked a Kyinti military base on a bridge near Hsipaw in the morning of 12 November and had completely captured it by 5:30 AM. Military bases on the western bank of the Salween River in Kunlong were taken by the MNDAA and both sides of the town came under its control. Equipment seized by the group included two D-30 howitzers, one 122mm MAM-01 MRLS, one 240mm MAM-02 MRLS, one BTR-3U armoured vehicle, one EE-9 armoured vehicle, one MT-LB armoured vehicle and several mortars. The military regime imposed martial law in Kunlong, Kutkai, Muse, Namhkan, Hsenwi, Lashio, Laukkai and Konkyan. The same day, 127 junta soldiers from the 129th Infantry Battalion stationed in Laukkai surrendered to the MNDAA within the city.

===== 13 November ===== China issued arrest warrants for junta-aligned Ming Xuechang and three other Ming family members for their involvement in online scamming operations. According to The Diplomat, this move signals China's "tacit support for the removal of the Kokang SAZ's leadership". The MNDAA was able to capture more Ukrainian-made armored vehicles. The mansion of the Ming family, in Shiyuanzi Village, Kokang SAZ, was bombed. The MNDAA denied responsibility. The first fighting in Rakhine since the operation began took place in Rathedaung and Minbya townships, breaking an informal ceasefire that had been in place in the region and marking the beginning of the Rakhine Offensive. The AA reported that it had seized outposts and arrested some officers.

===== 14–15 November ===== On 14 November, 43 Myanmar Army soldiers attempted to flee across the border into the Indian state of Mizoram. Most of them were disarmed by the Assam Rifles and sent back to Myanmar. According to reports from the MNDAA, they had begun to attack Myanmar Army positions in Mawhtike, capturing two posts and killing 20 regime soldiers. On 15 November, rebel forces reported that the entire 129th battalion of army forces surrendered to them in Shan State. The surrender of 127 soldiers and 134 family members would mark the largest such surrender since the conflict escalated after the 2021 coup. The Junta used air-strikes against refugees in Loikaw. MNDAA rebels captured two M-56А1 105 mm howitzers from junta force positions in Mawhtike. The State Administration Council further announced that junta-aligned Kokang SAZ chairman Myint Swe would be temporarily replaced by Brigadier General Tun Tun Myint. Tun Tun Myint was previously the commander in charge of northern Shan State operations. The move was suggested to be in anticipation of Operation 1027 moving towards Laukkai. The 6th light infantry battalion and 425th light infantry battalion of the junta's 66th light infantry division were severely damaged during fighting in Loikaw University, with the battalions' commander and second in command killed in both battalions despite excessive air and artillery support. The remaining 38 soldiers under the command of captain Kaung Myat Ko, the only officer left, surrendered to the KNDF.

===== 16–17 November ===== The same day, cybercrime ringleader Ming Xuechang and his family were arrested by Myanmar junta authorities and handed over to China. Ming Xuechang died in police custody, and the Consulate General of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar in Kunming claims that Ming Xuechang committed suicide. Ming Julan was later found by rebel forces and was handed over as well. On 17 November, Bai Xuoqian, former deputy commander of the MNDAA and former head of the Kokang SAZ, was stopped by the Myanmar Army when he tried to leave Kokang.

===== 18 November ===== The military launched a successful offensive to retake their Sakhan Thit Kone base in Namhkam Township, which had been captured by the TNLA the previous day. The TNLA accused the junta of using chemical weapons during their offensive by dropping bombs, which caused "dizziness, breathlessness, nausea, extreme agitation, fatigue, and low blood oxygen" among its troops. Chemical weapons are illegal under international law and their use would constitute a war crime. The TNLA said they would attempt to gather more conclusive evidence of the attack with technical and laboratory investigations.

===== 23 November ===== The MNDAA accused the junta of using chemical weapons during an airstrike on a recently captured junta base. Troops affected by the weapons reportedly suffered from dizziness and vomiting. The MNDAA warned that the junta "could launch more chemical attacks on both civilians and revolutionary forces," and said it was equipping its soldiers to protect them from further chemical attacks. A drone attack at the Kyin San Kyawt border crossing with China destroyed over 100 cargo trucks and caused over K 30,000,000 (around US$14,000,000) in losses. A drone was used to drop bombs on junta soldiers guarding the crossing, which started fires that burned for hours and destroyed goods trapped at the crossing by the outbreak of fighting. No group claimed responsibility for the attack.

===== 24 November ===== The TNLA retook their Mine Kyat base in Lashio Township after a 28-day battle, seizing heavy equipment, including one D-30 howitzer. They had previously abandoned the base after junta airstrikes. The MNDAA and other rebel groups managed to seize four military bases in Hseni Township, northern Shan State, after six days of attacks. The rebels claimed that 16 junta soldiers were killed and 31 captured in the battle. The rebels also seized one BTR-3U armoured vehicle, two Soltam M-845P 155 mm howitzers and other weapons and ammunition from the junta bases. Nine resistance groups jointly raided junta bases in Aung Thayar village, Sagiang Region. The People's Liberation Army of CPB, which participated in the attack, said they had killed over ten and captured seven regime troops, while seven of their own troops were injured.

===== 25 November ===== Several resistance groups launched a joint attack on junta positions in four villages: Nyaung Kaing, Thee Kone, Zee Phyu Kone, and Tal Thee Taw, with the latter two falling into resistance hands. At least 20 junta and pro-junta militia troops were killed during the attack, the groups claimed. China announced it would be conducting live-fire military exercises on the border with Myanmar, following the attack at the Kyin San Kyawt border crossing. They said the drills would run until the 28th and aimed to test the "rapid maneuverability, border sealing and fire strike capabilities" of troops stationed in the region.

===== 26 November ===== An attack by PDFs on a junta checkpoint in the Myingyan township of Mandalay Region killed two regime soldiers, with a follow-up attack killing another. The groups also claimed to have killed eight junta troops using mines in an ambush. The MNDAA announced that they had captured the Kyin San Kyawt border crossing in Muse District. This was the fourth such border crossing seized during the operation. The crossing was previously targeted in an attack that destroyed around 120 trucks parked at the border.

===== 27 November ===== On 27 November, the Brotherhood Alliance launched an offensive to seize the 105-Mile Trade Zone, a stretch of border in the Muse District that accounts for a major portion of trade with China. The rebel forces used drones to strike junta positions in the region, with the junta retaliating with heavy shelling and airstrikes that reportedly killed two civilians. Rebel forces seized attacked bases in Kyaukme and Laisho townships, seizing weapons. On the same day, Mandalay PDF said they had carried out a joint attack with the TNLA against a junta camp in Madaya Township, Mandalay. The group claimed that over 15 junta soldiers were killed, but that the resistance forces suffered no casualties. On 29 November, it was reported that the MNDAA had captured the town of Konkyan in the Kokang SAZ, following the surrender of Light Infantry Battalion 125 of the Tatmadaw. A total of 186 Tatmadaw soldiers and 86 family members surrendered in Konkyan.

December 2023

===== 1 December ===== Over the second half of November, the MNDAA encircled the town by capturing a number of junta outposts. The junta found it difficult to retain its foothold after losing Chinshwehaw, which was a key entry point into the Kokang SAZ along the main Lashio-China road. On 1 December, the MNDAA started penetrating the Tong Chain neighbourhood in southeastern Laukkai, beginning the Battle of Laukkai. On the same day, the MNDAA ambushed a battalion of junta troops who had previously fled Konkyan on 29 November. The entire battalion was killed, with casualties numbering between a few dozen and 100+.

===== 4–13 December ===== They seized a D-30 howitzer. On 6 December, the MNDAA captured the military outpost on Four Buddhist Statues Hill immediately south of Laukkai. This was the last junta outpost between the Brotherhood Alliance and Laukkai proper. On 7 December, the town of Monglon in Kyaukme township was seized by the TNLA. On 10 December, Chinese authorities issued arrest warrants and offered substantial rewards for the capture of 10 key figures leading telecom fraud rings operating in the Kokang region of Myanmar's Shan State, including former Kokang region chairman Bai Xuoqian and several pro-junta Kokang militia leaders.

On 13 December, the KIA, along with the All Burma Students' Democratic Front and Indaw PDF, took the town of Maw Luu from junta forces. The junta targeted the town with airstrikes following the town's capture.

===== 15 December ===== The Ta'ang National Liberation Army seized the town of Namhsan after around two weeks of fighting. The rebels seized two D-30 howitzers and two M-56A1 howitzers from junta forces in Namhsan. The TNLA suffered approximately 200 casualties (49 killed and 145 wounded) while capturing the Sakham Thit Kone stronghold in Namhsan. At least 60 junta troops were killed and more than 150 surrendered to the TNLA. Brigadier General Min Min Tun, commander of the 101st Infantry Division of the Tatmadaw, was also captured by TNLA. The Brotherhood Alliance took control the 105-Mile Myanmar-China Trade Zone and a military base in Muse Township in Shan State, the AA rebels seized a BTR-3U armored vehicle and an MT-LB armored vehicle there.

===== 18–22 December ===== On 18 December, anti-junta forces fully gained control of Namkham and the surrounding Namhkam Township. On the same day, the Myanmar Air Force launched three airstrikes towards MNDAA troops in Hitn Par Keng, a village directly north of Laukkai after a week of respite during peace talks. On 19 December, the MNDAA gained control of the Yanlonkyaing border gate and the Border Point 125 IDP camp on the Chinese border with Nansan, Yunnan, three north of Laukkai. The junta bombed an internally displaced persons camp in Mantong on 21 December, destroying at least 15 homes and a monastery. This bombing was part of a larger bombing operation in which the air force has bombed Mantong Township more than 180 times. TNLA captured Mantong in the evening of 22 December, completely capturing the Pa Laung Self-Administered Zone. TNLA seized one 155mm Soltam M-71 howitzer from Tatmadaw in Mantong.