28 August 2025
PDF terrorists, subordinates of NUG destructive terrorist group, with the intention of ruining the government administrative machinery were attacking some areas of regions and states with superior force, blowing up, torching and destroying public homes, administrative buildings, and roads and bridges, looting valuables, threatening people with arms, collecting extortion money, demanding daily food supplies, abducting and killing civil servants, monks as informants of government, Tatmadaw and police, and conducting forceful recruitments. Because of the terrorist acts they were committing in cooperation with some EAOs, the areas they arrived became void of transport, business, health and education activities and socioeconomic progress.
Beginning mid-2024, they in cooperation with TNLA armed terrorists, were plotting to seize Mandalay, a commercial and transport hub of the country, under their fantasy dreams.
NUG has been recruiting and gathering young people from Mandalay, Sagaing, and Meiktila plains, as well as disloyal staff from DCS with persuasion, giving terrorism courses to them, and producing them as terrorists under the name of MDY-PDF. In this way, they have been forcibly recruiting members and providing encouragement, while also cooperating with TNLA terrorist groups. Starting from 25 June 2024, they began military terrorist activities in the area adjoining Shan State and Mandalay Region under the title of the Shan-Man Operation, aiming to capture Mandalay city, which is the focus of their military ambitions. In order to totally occupy Mandalay, they set Mandaya column, Patheingyi column and PyinOoLwin column leading to Mandalay with attacks. During the period, they attacked security forces and security outposts stationed along Mogok-Thabeikkyin-Ma-daya-Mandalay route and near-by towns and villages as well as government and privately-owned factories and workplaces with full forces. These actions were conducted simultaneously with military activities in Kachin State and northern Shan State (North) with attempt to reach Mandalay.
Despite the overwhelming strength of these terrorists, security forces courageously and resolutely defended towns, villages, and government and privately-owned factories and workplaces, with sacrifice of their lives to prevent these areas from falling into the hands of the attackers. However, the terrorists created additional strength by forcibly recruiting local civilians along their routes and using them in attacks. As a result, security forces suffered increasing casualties and injuries. To minimize damage and losses to civilians’ homes and national-interest factories and workplaces, security forces systematically carried out phased withdrawals, organized controlled defensive operations, and, conducted coordinated counterattacks and tactical operations over a designated period in Madaya area. Although TNLA and MDY-PDF terrorists, operating as a combined force in the eastern Madaya area, launched a full-scale attack to reach Mandalay, Tatmadaw members unwavering spirit, fierce determination, and courageous resistance for the State, Tatmadaw, and the local people successfully halted the terrorists’ offensive. As a result, by July 2024, the clashes were stopped in areas including Yenatha Village, north of Madaya, Alpha Cement Factory in the east, and around Phayaungtaung mining area.
During the period when the attacks of these terrorists were halted, they carried out destructive actions in the surrounding villages, including looting civilian property, extorting money, asserting dominance through armed force, burning and destroying machinery, vehicles, and buildings in factories and workplaces, using factory-produced raw materials and goods for military preparations or personal gain, and extracting and selling valuable minerals from mines for their own profit.
As a combined force, TNLA and MDY-PDF terrorists, with the encouragement of the NUG, aimed to fully capture Madaya area by securing a strong foothold at the Alpha Cement Plant and the Phayaungtaung mining site. Starting from 18 July 2025, they launched a heavy attack on a lightly defended security outpost in Myakantha Village in the eastern Madaya region. According to strategy, the out-post conducted a temporary withdrawal on the night of 20 July 2025, and on the morning of 21 July, the pre-positioned main counterattack units struck back with overwhelming force and heavy weapons, reclaiming the position and forcing the terrorists to retreat in disarray.
Furthermore, security forces carried out detailed preparations to reclaim government-owned factories and workplaces that had been occupied and fortified by the combined TNLA and MDY-PDF terrorist forces. Starting from 21 July 2025, Tatmadaw launched a full-scale counteroffensive to completely wipe off terrorists from the Alpha Cement Plant and Phayaungt-aung mining site in Madaya region. The counteroffensive was executed along four columns: one column advancing from Madaya–Bokone–Kyauktada route, one from Myakantha Village, one from Pansalaung Hill, and one from Baingpin Village, with coordinated attacks carried out in successive stages to in-crease momentum and pressure. In these operations, security forces, with the full support of local residents, their high morale, determination, and fighting spirit, employed a step-by-step combined strategy of ‘bold advance, fierce attack, and decisive destruction.’ This allowed security members to systematically assault and dismantle fortified positions constructed by the terrorists, including concrete bunkers, underground tunnels, and earthen pits. As a result, the security forces successfully regained control of the Phayaungtaung mining area, which had been firmly held by MDY-PDF terrorists on 24 August and the Alpha Cement Plant, with minimal casualties among and minimal damage to factories and workplaces today. The terrorists, suffering heavy losses, were forced to retreat in disarray toward the northern part of Madaya area.
During the one-month and seven-day period of the operation to retake and control the area, there were 24 major and minor clashes with the terrorist alliance of TNLA and MDY-PDF. Some members of the security forces sacrificed their lives for the state and sustained injuries, while 15 bodies of the terrorists were recovered, along with 46 various weapons, ammunition, and related materials.
During the operation to retake control, the terrorist alliance of TNLA and MDY-PDF used cement produced from the Alpha Cement Factory and a large number of Alpha-branded cement bags to build concrete bunkers, foxholes, and communication trenches in their strongholds. Although they fortified their positions and attempted to block and attack the Tatmadaw columns in stages, the Tatmadaw columns exercised restraint and carried out the assault with caution, minimizing damage to buildings and machinery in the factory and mining areas during the retaking of the site.
The Alpha Cement Factory is located near Aung Tha Pyay Village, Dahattaw Village Tract, Patheingyi Township, Mandalay Region. Construction began in 2017, and production started in August 2020. The factory employs 80 foreign experts and 300 local workers, producing 5,000 tons of cement daily. It significantly meets the regional demand for cement. While terrorist groups were using the factory as a stronghold, it could not operate, leading to a high demand for cement in the region, soaring prices, and job losses, causing severe difficulties for local residents. Additionally, the March 28, 2025, Mandalay earthquake caused significant damage to buildings in Mandalay, creating a high demand for cement for reconstruction. The terrorist acts of these groups have severely impacted the socio-economic lives of local residents.
Similarly, the Phayaungtaung mining operation (gold refining) was managed by the Ministry of Mines from 1986 to 1997 for the benefit of the State. After 1998, it was leased to private factory operators. This mining operation extracts and refines the country’s precious raw gold ore, contributing to the economic development of the State and its people while providing employment opportunities for over 170 workers. During the temporary occupation by the terrorist alliance of TNLA and MDY-PDF, operations were halted. The valuable state-produced raw mining materials were extracted and sold for the personal gain of PDF leaders, causing significant losses to the state, the public, and factory employees.
Now that the Tatmadaw has retaken the Alpha Cement Factory and the Phayaungtaung mining operation, which were temporarily occupied by the terrorist alliance of TNLA and MDY-PDF, necessary repairs will be made to the factory buildings and machinery damaged by the terrorist groups to resume operations. This will enable the affordable supply of cement to meet regional demand and restore job opportunities for local residents.
Tatmadaw columns will continue to clear the remaining areas controlled by the terrorist alliance of TNLA and MDY-PDF between Madaya and Thabeikkyin townships. Along with the clearance operations, efforts will be made to minimize damage and losses to state and privately owned valuable mining sites, factories, and workshops.
