Other MoA event in Myawaddy Township, Waw Lay area, Myanmar on Wed 8th April 2026

Intense fighting has escalated along the Thai-Myanmar border over the past week as Karen resistance groups push to seize the regime’s last military stronghold in Waw Lay, Myawaddy Township.

After capturing a nearby regime outpost at Htee Thel Lel village on March 31, resistance units led by the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) have encircled the tactical command base in Waw Lay town. The siege has triggered a regime aerial barrage as the military attempts to defend the position, according to resistance sources.

Waw Lay borders Phop Phra District in Thailand’s Tak province and sits roughly 71 kilometers south of the Thai-Myanmar trading hub of Myawaddy. Its fall would deal a major blow to the regime’s ongoing push south from Myawaddy to reclaim border territory.

“They [regime forces] have deployed waves of Y12s, Y8s, jet fighters, and suicide drones over the last few days as resistance units move to seize the military’s last base in the area,” a local resistance member told the Irrawaddy.

Regime troops have been pushed back to Waw Lay, where they are reportedly preparing to make a last stand.

“It’s hard to predict their exact strength because the base has been swelled by soldiers retreating from nearby outposts, but it could be significant,” the source said.

Its fall would hand control of the Waw Lay border area to Karen resistance groups, as well as the regime-aligned Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA).

Local media reported that regime suicide drones and artillery recently hit a scam centre and deserted clinic in DKBA territory, but observers said the group has remained neutral in the conflict.

A Karen observer told the Irrawaddy, “The DKBA will not intervene militarily as this would threaten its economic interests. But it will allow any group to use its territory.”

He added that the capture of Waw Lay would allow resistance groups to mobilise freely and launch attacks against regime troops elsewhere in Myawaddy.

Regime airstrikes over the past week have reportedly forced at least 1,000 residents to join others already seeking refuge in temporary shelters along the Moei River or across the border in Thailand, according to local aid groups.

However, details remain sketchy as fighting intensifies.

“We know that civilians were displaced and village infrastructure destroyed by junta bombing, but we are still reaching out for more information,” a Karen aid group member told The Irrawaddy.

Since September last year, the regime has been pushing south of Myawaddy to recapture lost territory with air and artillery support, triggering fierce clashes with Karen resistance groups and displacing tens of thousands to temporary camps and neighbouring Thailand.