Lt-Col Khant Htet Naung Reportedly Killed in Bhamo Battle Amid Heavy Fighting

Yangon, August 28 – The battle for Bhamo in Kachin State has intensified, with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and allied forces reportedly inflicting heavy losses on junta troops. According to a KIA source, Lieutenant Colonel Khant Htet Naung, Commanding Officer of Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 319, was killed in a drone strike on August 25.

Resistance fighters allegedly targeted junta positions with drones, and one of the strikes fatally hit Lt-Col Khant Htet Naung, a Bhamo native and Defence Services Academy (DSA) Intake 61 graduate. He had been transferred to Bhamo just two months earlier and was leading operations against LIB 366 in the San Khip Kar area before his death.

The clashes on August 24–25 resulted in significant junta casualties, with bodies of soldiers reported near the Military Operations Command (MOC) 21 headquarters in Bhamo. Large caches of weapons and ammunition were also seized by resistance forces. Meanwhile, the junta has launched daily airstrikes in an effort to counter the offensive.

******

GROUND REALITY 

 Confirmed 

1. Battle of Bhamo is ongoing since Dec 2024, with KIA and allies seizing multiple bases.
2. LIB 319 headquarters in Mansi Township was captured by KIA in Jan 2025.
3. Heavy fighting, drone use, and daily airstrikes by the junta are well-documented.

 Not Confirmed / Unverified 

1. Claim that Lt-Col Khant Htet Naung (LIB 319 CO) was killed by a drone strike → no reliable source confirms this.
2. Official reports mention a different commander (Col. Aung Nyein Chan) killed in late Dec 2024, but not “Khant Htet Naung.”
3. Details like bodies piling near Bhamo, his being a Bhamo native, DSA intake 61, or recent transfer are not corroborated in credible reports.

 Bottom line: 

The battle and capture of LIB 319 are real, but the death of Lt-Col Khant Htet Naung as reported is unverified and not supported by independent sources.

Share: