The Battle of Lashio was an offensive conducted by the Three Brotherhood Alliance, along with other resistance forces, to capture the northern Shan city of Lashio. The headquarters for the Tatmadaw's Northeastern Command, the city was besieged by rebel forces following the collapse of the Chinese-mediated ceasefire that had paused the rebels' Operation 1027.
During the first phase of Operation 1027, resistance forces seized several towns surrounding Laisho, including Hsenwi, Namtu, and Kutkai. They also took control of the road between Laisho and Mandalay, cutting the city off from reinforcement except by air. Following the city's encirclement, junta forces destroyed several bridges leading into the city to try and prevent rebel forces from advancing further. While the city appeared to be a key target for the resistance following the fall of Laukkai, the conflict in Northern Shan was halted by a ceasefire mediated by China.
The ceasefire agreement collapsed in late June 2024, after the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), a Brotherhood Alliance member, launched attacks in response to alleged junta violations of the ceasefire. The rebel forces took control of the towns of Kyaukme and Nawnghkio on the road from Lashio to Mandalay, further consolidating the rebels' encirclement. On 2 July, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), another member of the alliance, joined the offensive, attacking junta positions around Lashio with the TNLA. The military responded to the attacks with airstrikes and indiscriminate shelling. As fighting moved closer to the city proper, families of soldiers were evacuated, and thousands of civilians fled the conflict zone.
Battle
Resistance forces began to advance into the city on 6 July, shelling and using drones to bomb the junta's headquarters inside of the city. On 14 July, the MNDAA announced a four-day halt in its operations to avoid interfering with the ongoing Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. However, clashes continued despite the unilateral ceasefire. On 17 July anti-junta forces captured army checkpoints outside of Lashio, forcing soldiers to withdraw into the city. The MNDAA captured No. (68) Infantry Regiment on 23 July, capturing 317 POWs, including a Lieutenant Colonel, 2 Majors, and 5 Captains in the northern part of Lashio.
On 25 July 2024, the MNDAA claimed to have taken control of the junta's Northeastern Regional Military Command headquarters inside the city, but this claim was denied by the junta. Rebel forces reported that resistance forces only had to capture a few remaining military holdouts in the city. On 26 July it was reported that the junta had ordered its remaining officials to leave Lashio as MNDAA troops swept through remaining pockets of resistance. Clashes were reportedly ongoing in the morning at Lashio Motel, Lashio University, and around Mansu Pagoda. On the same day MNDAA rebels captured Ava Bank branch and Lashio Hospital. On 27 July clashes were still ongoing with 20% of Lashio's civilian populace still trapped in the city. Routes were opened for civilians to flee.
On that day the MNDAA captured the 41st Batallion Base, the 912nd Engineering Batallion Base, and a toll gate. On 28 July MNDAA troops freed 200 political prisoners, including Tun Tun Hein, after capturing Lashio prison. On 30 July the MNDAA ambushed a junta convoy from Tangyan that was meant to resupply Lashio, reportedly killing more than 50 soldiers. On the same day the MNDAA captured Lashio Airport. On 1 August rebel forces raided the North East Command Post, leading to heavy clashes and casualties on both sides. Following the raid, only around 400 soldiers remained in the headquarters. That evening, the Myanmar Air Force launched an airstrike on a hospital under the control of the MNDAA in Laukkai city, killing 10 people.
On the same day, the MNDAA seized Supply & Logistics Battalion 626, capturing 2 BTR-3 infantry fighting vehicles. On 2 August rebel forces stormed the Military Hospital in Lashio with unconfirmed reports of some patients and staff being killed. According to some reports, the MNDAA attackers committed a massacre, murdering reportedly over 100 people, including children, medical staff, and patients who had remained in the hospital after the fighting subsided. On 3 August MNDAA forces entered the Northeast Command headquarters and raised their flag there. The MNDAA destroyed 2 WMA-301 assault guns and 2 BTR-3 infantry fighting vehicles during the battle at the Northeastern Command Headquarter. The same morning, the last junta holdouts inside Lashio were reportedly defeated.
UWSA deployment
On the night of 27 July hundreds of UWSA fighters entered Lashio to protect their external relations office and properties in the township. They communicated their intentions to both sides and reaffirmed their neutrality. On 8 August UWSA reportedly deployed another batch of fighters armed with anti-aircraft guns to Lashio.
Aftermath and importance
Lashio was reported as being a major strategic target for resistance forces to capture, and its fall to the MNDAA dealt a major blow to the junta, severing contact between Naypyidaw and junta forces further north in the country. According to Nathan Ruser, an analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, Lashio's capture "[...] basically eliminates the junta as an effective organized force from a huge part of the country,".
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