Fighting between Burma's military and the armed-wing of the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) has continued in Kachin and parts of north eastern Shan state just days after both sides sat down for talks in China.
On Wednesday evening troops from the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and soldiers from Burma's military exchanged gun fire near Kadung Hka San village in Hohpyet in Northern Shan state. The KIA troops were from the group's Battalion 9, while the government soldiers were from the Nampaka-based Infantry Battalion No. 241, according to a senior KIA officer from the 4th Brigade which includes Battalion 9.
The KIA unit was compelled to return fire because a column of more than 80 army troops intruded into KIA territory, the KIA officer claimed. Following the exchange of fire government troops withdrew from the area. The KIA officer who spoke on condition of anonymity said that his side did not suffer any casualties. It is unclear if any of the government forces were injured or killed during the firefight.
At present the army, with the support of some local government backed militias, is engaged in a large scale offensive against KIA units in northern Shan state, according to the 4th Brigade officer. The government side has deployed as many 1,000 troops in the area in an attempt to drive the KIA out of northern Shan state, the officer claimed.
Also on Wednesday beginning at about 8 PM, government troops based at Lung Rawk Bum, Bum Sawn Kawng and Yi Hku Kawng shelled KIA positions in Lawayang near Lajayang, some 6 miles from the KIO capital Laiza. The KIA chose not to respond to the Burma army shelling which lasted four about 5 minutes.
KIA security posts in and around Laiza have come under repeated shelling from Burma army troops despite the fact that government forces now control all of the KIA’s strategic hilltop bases around Laiza. Burma army units are also firing at KIA trucks traveling between Laiza and Laisin Bum, a KIA stronghold which previously served as the group's headquarters, according to a KIA officer based in Laiza.
More talks between the KIO and representatives of the Thein Sein government are set to take place at the end of the month. In a joint statement released by both sides following the end of the talks on Monday, it was announced that both parties had agreed to establish a system for “monitoring conflict areas” although no details were given as to what this entails.
