As of that morning, the junta had not reopened the Kyondoe–Kawkareik Road and was shelling villages along the route with artillery to support its ground troops in securing the highway. They still haven’t been able to get close to the main highway,” said a Kyondoe-based source familiar with the current military situation. At present, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and the People’s Defence Force (PDF) are engaged in fierce fighting with junta troops along both routes. Fighting is still going on in parts of the mountain range along the old route, and the junta hasn’t been able to reopen AH1 yet,” the aforementioned source added. The junta vowed to reopen the Thingannyinaung–Kawkareik–Kyondoe section of AH1 to public use on September 9, but motorists and traders in the area reported that the road remained closed the following morning.