Heavy clashes in Myanmar’s Sagaing Region have resulted in a strategic deadlock at Nabar Village, leaving at least 800 vehicles stranded at a critical transport junction. The site serves as a vital hub linking road and rail networks between Sagaing and Kachin State.
Since 30 June, intense fighting has escalated between the Myanmar military and a coalition of resistance forces, including the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the Kachin People’s Defence Force (KPDF), and local People’s Defence Forces (PDFs), reports Irrawaddy.
The area is a focal point of conflict due to its location at the intersection of the Mandalay-Myitkyina and Shwebo-Myitkyina highways.
The violence has exacted a human and material toll. More than 10 individuals, including passengers and drivers, have sustained injuries and are receiving treatment at Katha General Hospital.
Additionally, at least five vehicles were damaged by small-arms fire and artillery. Transport managers report that both sides have blocked the routes, and because the rainy season has rendered detours unusable, cargo trucks and passenger buses remain trapped.
Northbound traffic is currently blocked at Kyauktan and Kyaung Kone villages, while southbound vehicles are stuck near the Nabar monastery.
Strategically, Nabar acts as a gateway to several key districts, including Indaw, Pinlebu, and Banmauk. While resistance forces under the civilian National Unity Government (NUG) briefly seized the junction and the town of Indaw earlier this year, the military regime retook control in late April.
The junta has since deployed reinforcements, including 300 troops from the 33rd Light Infantry Division to Indaw and another 200 troops toward Wuntho, in an attempt to secure the Indaw-Wuntho road.
Military defectors and analysts suggest that the fall of nearby villages such as Kyauktan, Kyaung Kone, and Maezar could jeopardize resistance control of Pinlebu and the Shwebo-Myitkyina highway.
Amidst the ongoing military maneuvers, a significant number of displaced civilians from Bhamo, Katha, and Indaw are currently seeking refuge in Maezar.
The regime has claimed full control over the Mandalay-Myitkyina highway since early May, yet resistance groups maintain that the military has failed to secure the route entirely.
These latest skirmishes broke out just as the junta prepared to resume rail services between Myitkyina and Nabar.
