Combat footage from Myanmar shows a fighter with the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF) 9th Battalion during a close-quarters battle at a military base in Bawlakhe, Kayah State. The engagement reportedly took place sometime in March 2025 and concluded with a KNDF victory.
The POV footage has circulated widely across social media platforms, including Reddit and Instagram. According to users analyzing the video, it was originally posted on Facebook and is believed to have been recorded by a KNDF fighter from Battalion B-09.
Footage from the Bawlakhe camp battle.
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In the video, the fighter is seen advancing through debris under heavy fire, armed with an MA-1 rifle equipped with a 40mm under-barrel grenade launcher. The MA-1 is a Burmese-manufactured variant of the Israeli Galil. The footage captures multiple explosions at close range, with visual evidence of several near-misses during the assault. Commenters familiar with the battle report that the fighter survived the engagement uninjured.
SOFX has previously documented combat footage from Myanmar’s ongoing civil conflict, including close-quarters engagements filmed by resistance fighters. The use of unconventional logistics by ethnic militias has also drawn attention, including instances of elephant-assisted supply movement through jungle terrain.
The KNDF is one of several ethnic armed groups engaged in ongoing fighting against Myanmar’s military junta following the February 2021 coup. Bawlakhe, located in Kayah State, has been the site of multiple battles as resistance forces continue their offensive.
On March 28, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar, causing widespread destruction and thousands of casualties. The disaster has further strained both military operations and civilian infrastructure across the country.
