The Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA) announced that troops from the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) destroyed two of its military outposts in southern Shan State.
The SSP/SSA outposts were near Pangpwe Village in Mong Kong Township.
According to the SSP/SSA statement at around 5:30 pm on 25 November, approximately 100 RCSS troops, in three columns, launched an attack on the two outposts. During the fighting the RCSS captured four SSPP/SSA soldiers and set fire to the outposts, four motorcycles and a car.
According to the statement, the RCSS soldiers rampaged through Pangpwe Village and shot dead U Kan Kham, a member of the Pangpwe Village Administrative Committee when they fired at his home. They then looted gold, cash and jewellery from the house before setting it on fire.
They also ransacked a grocery store owned by Daw Shwe Yeing, looting groceries, cash, and gold jewellery.
Before leaving the RCSS soldiers abducted and took away a Pangpwe villager along with the four captured SSPP/SSA soldiers.
The SSPP/SSA statement also pointed out that peace talks are ongoing between it and the RCSS. It said that because of this the SSPP/SSA had been restraining itself and was avoiding being hostile towards the RCSS, which took advantage of this to attack the SSPP/SSA.
Mong Kong Township was previously controlled by the RCSS, but it is now regarded as SSPP/SSA territory. Traditionally the RCSS has been based in southern Shan State whilst the SSPP/SSA has been based in northern Shan State.
Though both of these Shan ethnic armed organisations (EAOs) are not officially involved in the ongoing anti-coup struggles they have become increasingly hostile towards each other.
When the SSPP/SSA Facebook page announced the RCSS attack on its outposts, both groups were mocked by hundreds of social media users for fighting each other whilst the country faces an ongoing crisis.
Shan Herald has reached out to the RCSS for a response to the SSPP/SSA statement, but it has not yet received a response.
