Three soldiers from Burma's military died on Monday following bloody clashes with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in the Mongkoe (or Munggu) area of northern Shan state, according to local residents.
Eyewitnesses told the Kachin News Group they saw the bodies of three soldiers, identified as members of Infantry Battalion No. 69, being carried away by their comrades near Nawng Heng, the site of heavy fighting all day Monday.
A KIA officer stationed in the area said the fighting involved 100 government troops and a far smaller squad of KIA forces from Brigade 4, also known as the KIA Southern Region.
Three young Kachin men were arrested on Monday close to where the fighting was taking place, apparently under suspicion of being KIA members. The men were seen being taken into custody by troops from IB No. 69. Their current whereabouts are unknown.
According to villagers living in the Mongkoe area, troops from IB No. 69 have punished local Kachin villagers by looting many homes and stealing livestock and belongings.
Although fighting in Kachin state has drawn broader attention, regular clashes have been occurring in northwestern Shan state since the Kachin conflict began last year. A significant portion of Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) territory in northern Shan state is slated to be the route for a twin oil and gas pipeline project currently being constructed by a Chinese state owned firm, China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC).
