11 PDF Fighters Killed in Junta Ambush, Taungtha Township — Bodies Reportedly Burned; Fighters Were Traveling to Village Believing Troops Had Withdrawn

Eleven People's Defence Force fighters were killed and two are missing after a junta ambush in Taungtha Township, Mandalay Region, according to Myanmar Now and The Irrawaddy reporting on May 6, 2026. The ambush occurred on approximately May 4 at the Thanbo Ma village area: 13 members of the Min Thar Gyi column of the Taungtha PDF drove toward a village after believing junta troops had withdrawn, only to find soldiers had deliberately stayed behind in a planned ambush. The vehicle column was attacked, and 11 fighters were killed. Two survivors remain unaccounted for. Junta forces reportedly burned the bodies of the fallen PDF fighters — a practice documented in previous incidents that the NUG has characterized as deliberate intimidation and desecration. Weapons seized by junta forces included 3 MA-1 rifles, 1 MA-3 rifle, one 60mm mortar, ammunition, body armor, and one vehicle. The ambush reflects the SAC's tactical shift toward counter-ambush operations using delayed-withdrawal tactics in Mandalay Region — an area that has seen sustained PDF operations including the April 28 Myingyan convoy ambush that killed ~25 SAC troops. Multiple confirmations from Myanmar Now and Irrawaddy.