Fighting resumed this afternoon at around 4 p.m. local time between the Burmese Army and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in Burma’s northern Kachin State, after stopping Thursday for nearly two days, KIA officers said.
The heavy fighting is taking place at Sang Gang, in N’mawk Township, in Manmaw (Bhamo) District, in Kachin State, the same location of Thursday’s fighting.
The sound of small guns and heavy mortars can be heard from the battle areas, according to witnesses.
KIA officers said the recent fighting started after the KIA refused to meet a deadline from the Burmese Army for a complete withdrawal from the KIA’s Bum Sen stronghold in Sang Gang, by today, Saturday, June 11th, at 12 p.m.
The KIA rejected the deadline and stated that it will never withdraw from Bum Sen Post, according KIA officials in Laiza Headquarters, in eastern Kachin State.
The Bum Sen Post is a strategic position which connects the KIA’s Brigade 3 Command at Maijayang and the General Headquarters at Laiza, said KIA officials.
Currently, over 500 Burmese troops from more than three battalions are deployed in Sang Gang and more reinforcements from Burmese battalions around Manmaw District are coming to the battle zone, local sources said.
The Manmaw-based Infantry Battalion No. 237, N’mawk-based Light Infantry Battalion No. 437 and Dawhpumyang-based Infantry Battalion No. 142 are among the Burmese troops in the area of the fighting, according to the KIA.
