Nearly 70 junta soldiers were killed by friendly fire from two junta Mi-35 helicopters just outside Shwe Lan Village in Sagaing Region’s Myaung Township, on 13 November.

The incident happened just after the junta troops had engaged a group fighters from various defence forces.

According to a statement issued by the Civilian's Defense and Security Organization of Myaung, one of the defence force groups involved in the fighting, defence force fighters and junta soldiers fought each other for about 30 minutes from about 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on 13 November

According to the Burmese Guerrilla Force (BGF) Myingyan, another defence force involved in the fighting, about five junta soldiers died in the fighting and the defence forces were able to safely retreat without suffering any casualties, though they lost some military equipment.

Junta troops on the ground called in helicopter airstrikes on the defence forces during the fighting but, when the two helicopters arrived the defence forces had already retreated. Because the junta forces were dressed in civilian clothes rather than military uniforms the helicopter pilots assumed they were members of the defence forces that they had been called in to attack and fired on them.

A representative of Yesagyo PDF, another group involved in the fighting said: "They [the junta troops] have been burning villages near Yesagyo and Myaung. There was a battle with local defense forces after Shwem Lan Village was burned down. We learned that five junta soldiers were killed. They [the junta soldiers] then requested air support to assist them in the fight. However, by the time the helicopters arrived, the defense forces had already retreated and because the junta troops were dressed in civilian clothes, the helicopters bombed their members, thinking it was us [defence forces].”

A resident of nearby Yeasagyo Township who was close to the fighting, said: “They dropped bombs from a helicopter onto the [junta] soldiers who were dressed in civilian clothes and there were nearly 70 junta soldiers’ bodies.

The Yesagyo PDF representative said: “I heard that vehicles were taking away the Military Council corpses.”

The defence forces involved in the fighting were: the Thway Thauk Revolution Forces, MGN Ranger Justice Revolution Force-Myaung, the Burmese Guerrilla Force (BGF) Myingyan, and the Civilian's Defence and Security Organization of Myaung.