The Kyoneeike Bridge on the Yangon-Mawlamyine highway between Thaton Township and Bilin Township was detonated again on the early morning of May 11.

A resident said that they heard gunshots from the side of the Kyoneeike Bridge at around 2 am on May 11, and at around 3:14 am, a loud explosion was heard.

He continued, “When we went to look the bridge in the morning and saw that the Kyoneeike Bridge had been demined. The half of the bridge that was left due to being mined once before, the side of the Bailey bridge was also destroyed. Currently, the Yangon-Mawlamyine road connection has been cut off.”

A traveller said that cars and passenger vehicles that were going from Mawlamyine to Yangon turned back to Mawlamyine and many trucks were blocked.

He continued, “The situation is that the road is no longer accessible. If we have urgent matters, we will have to go by air.”

The Kyoneeike Bridge, situated between mileposts No.131/6 and 131/7 on the Yangon-Mawlamyine highway, was obliterated in the early hours of June 29, 2023, by a joint operation conducted by the KNLA/PDF joint force from No.2 Battalion, KNU No.1 Brigade. The bridge, mined by the forces, suffered a catastrophic collapse, severing crucial connectivity between Thaton Township and Bilin Township. The destructive incident claimed the lives of one individual and inflicted injuries upon another. Three vehicles, caught in the collapse, met a tragic fate, with two plunging into the creek below.

Then, the security forces and officials of the department, who came to inspect the Kyoneeike Bridge, which was damaged after being demined, were attacked again at around 6 am on June 29, and the head of road department for Thaton District was killed and 28 were injured.

While the bridge construction teams were working to build a temporary bailey bridge on the mine-damaged Kyoneeike Bridge, it was attacked by drop bombs at least 8 times, but on July 26, 2023, a temporary bailey bridge was built and vehicles were able to travel.