June 18 witnessed heavy fighting in Sinbo area in Mohnyin township in Burma’s Northern Kachin State between Burmese Army troops and soldiers of Battalion 5 of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), said eyewitnesses.
The fighting occurred in Si Sat Pa, west of Sinbo and continued till night, said a KIA officer in Laiza headquarters in eastern Kachin State. There are no reports on casualties on either side so far.
According to eyewitnesses, the day’s fighting was the fiercest in the area this week. Seventeen government troops were killed by the KIA in yesterday’s fighting in different areas of Sinbo, said KIA officials.
At the same time, skirmishes between the two sides are taking place day and night in Dum Bung Krung in the KIA’s Battalion 25 area in N’mawk (Momauk) Township in Manmaw (Bhamo) district, said KIA officers.
Residents of N’mawk told Thailand-based Kachin News Group on Saturday that they can hear mines explode and gunfire every day.
A KIA officer in Laiza said heavy fighting is occurring in the whole of Kachin State and Northern Shan State with government troops encroaching on KIA’s territories.
Though, the KIA is defending itself, it has destroyed more than 10 bridges in the two states since early this week--- crippling transportation of troops of the Burmese Army.
