Heavy fighting between government troops and Kachin Independence Army (KIA) broke out before dawn today at Lajayang near the Laiza headquarters. More than fifty government soldiers and one Kachin resistance fighter were killed by noon, according to an unidentified KIA officer.
The clashes took place between Lajayang and Nalung villages on the Myitkyina to Manmaw (Bhamo) road. The fighting allegedly started after large group of government troops attempted to push through to Lung Rawk post near Lajayang following an aborted rations delivery.
An estimated 100 Burmese soldiers are trapped at Lung Rawk post, according to the KIA officer. Several recent attempts by the army to resupply the strategic post, located less than 5 miles from the KIO's headquarters, have been blocked by the KIA.
Government forces and the KIA fired artillery shells back and forth for much of the morning, according to locals. The government was aided by Russian- made helicopters armed with heavy guns. After several hours, a smoking helicopter that appeared to have been damaged by KIA fire was seen flying back towards Myitkyina, according to the Kachin officer.
It was replaced by 3 more government helicopter gunships that continued the attack on KIA targets in Lajayang. Most of the fighting had stopped by the afternoon. One eyewitness told the Kachin News Group the bodies of the Burma army soldiers were collected and taken to a local Buddhist temple in Lajayang.
