An ally of the ethnic Kokang armed group, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) yesterday asked its troops to be on high alert in Kachin State and Northeast Shan State to take on the Burmese troops, if they intrude into their territories, said KIA sources.
In what is a renewed alert, KIA soldiers have been authorized to shoot at Burmese troops without adhering to the policy of allowing the Burmese troops to fire first, KIA officials added.
The renewed alert came from Maj-Gen Gunhtang Gam Shawng, the KIA's Chief of Staff in Laiza headquarters on the Sino-Burma border in Kachin State to all the KIA troops, said KIA soldiers in the frontline in Northern Shan State.
The KIA soldiers in Loikang-based KIA's 4th Brigade have been put on high alert to repel the intruding Burmese troops because it is situated near Kokang territories in northern Shan State where the clashes were sparked off between the Kokang fighters loyal to the leader Peng Jiasheng and the Burmese troops yesterday morning, said sources close to KIA's 4th Brigade.
A military observer in the war zone told KNG, "Today, I saw more Burmese troops heading towards the KIA's 4th Brigade. It seems the battle is being carried to the KIA's 4th Brigade".
Since dawn today, heavy clashes broke out between the Kokang rebels and Burmese troops in Kokang territories along the areas east of the Salween River. The clashes are on now between them, said residents in the war zone.
At the moment, about 7,000 Burmese soldiers including Pa-an-based Light Infantry Division No. 22 and Ywataung-based Light Infantry Division No. 33 --- five Burmese battalions led by Maj-Gen Aung Shan Htut, commander of the Lashio-based Northeast Shan State Regional Command (Ya-Ma-Kha) have reached the Kokang's headquarters, Laogai as of August 24 night. Two more battalions are marching towards the war zone, according to local military observers.
Laogai was overun by Burmese soldiers wearing police uniforms and about 90 Kokang rebels led by Bai Souqian, deputy of Chairman of Kokang (or also called Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, MNDAA) loyal to the Burmese Army on August 24 night.
Military analysts in Monggo near Kokang territory told KNG today, the junta has taken the war first to the Kokang ceasefire group because it wants to cut off communication between the two strongest ethnic armed groups--- the KIA and United Wa State Army (UWSA) through Kokang territories.
The junta seems to be planning to fight KIA or UWSA if it defeats Kokang, added local military analysts.
Both KIA and UWSA are allies of the Kokang armed group but they are yet to clash with Burmese troops in the areas near their controlled territories, said Sino-Burma and Thailand-Burma sources on the borders.
Since April, before the junta’s country wide general elections scheduled next year, the Burmese ruling junta is pressurizing all ethnic ceasefire groups to transform their armed-wing to Border Guard Forces (BGFs).
The KIA, UWSA and Kokang have rejected the BGF proposed by the junta outright.
