Five Burmese soldiers have been killed and several others were injured from a Kachin Independence Army (KIA) bomb attack in Bankawng Mu, on July 24. The village, which is located between Myitkyina and Bhamo (or Manmaw), is patrolled by both KIA and government forces.
According to a Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) officer in Laiza, KIA Battalion 24 used a bomb to attack Burmese Battalion 142 in Bankawng Mu.
“Their soldiers were on patrol when we attacked them with a bomb. Our soldiers didn’t have to fire their guns,” said the KIO officer.
At the same time as the bomb attack, KIA Battalion 6 and Burmese troops were fighting in Kamaing (or Ka Mai) region, controlled by the KIA Brigade 2. It’s still unknown if there are any causalities from the clash.
On July 19, two Burmese soldiers from the Khanti-based Burmese Battalion No. 52 under Northwestern Regional Military Command defected to the KIA while patrolling in the Kamaing (or Ka Mai) region.
Around KIO’s Laiza headquarters, fighting between KIA and Burmese military is happening daily.
Meanwhile the KIO is trying to organize a meeting with the government peace team in China.
