The Earthquake People's Defense Force (UG) said that they launched a bomb attack against the KBZ Bank branch on Htin Tann Road in Pakokku township, Magway Region at 1 pm on January 24.

The group said they made the bomb attack to warn the KBZ Bank not to freeze the bank accounts of dissidents. The group urged the bank to unfreeze dissidents’ accounts that are currently frozen.

"KBZ Bank must unfreeze our bank accounts. If they continue freezing bank accounts, we cannot give an assurance for any of the lives of the KBZ bank staff,” said Ko Pein, spokesman for the Earthquake People's Defense Force (UG).

The bomb explosion at the KBZ Bank did not cause any casualties. It damaged some walls of the bank building. In addition, the local resistance group has urged people to stay away from KBZ banks and Mytel offices.

On January 21, the local resistance group stormed a police station on Tatma Road in Pakokku township, killing and wounding several junta troops.

Armed resistance has intensified in the months after the initial protests to the Military coup in February last year. Mytel telecommunications towers, Myanmar Beer and other businesses owned by the Myanmar military, have been targeted by local armed resistance groups.