A Karen armed group, from Karen National Union (KNU), attacked the New Mon State Party (NMSP) Ma Yang Chong military base in eastern Ye Town, and a sub-military base located in Ba-Leh-Doon-Pite village in theThree Pagoda Pass Township in the early morning of October 17.

Nai Aye Mon, who is in-charge of the NMSP’s Foreign Affairs department told the Mon News Agency, “[They] broke in and fired at both places in the early morning. [They] discharged [weapons] at our sub-military base located at the end of Ba-Leh-Doon-Pite village in the morning, and in Ma Yang Chong. The intruders in both places are known to be from the Karen National Union (KNU) armed group.”

During the fighting, some local residents were beaten while trying to flee from the conflict and some shops were robbed, Nai Aye Mon added.

“A group of five to seven people came in and started firing at our Ma Yang Chong camp around 4:30 a.m. The fight lasted for over half an hour then they escaped. We have seized an AK gun along with 25 bullets,” Deputy Commander in chief Col. Aung San Myit from the NMSP Ka-Nee based Battalion No. (7) told Mon News Agency.

Although there was no civilian casualties the Mon News Agency received a photo of the NMSP Deputy Commander in Chief, Colonel Kon Blai who was believed to have been captured and killed by the Karen armed group.

According to Padoh Saw Eh Dah, in-charge of KNU Battalion 6, the skirmish in both locations is thought to have been created because the New Mon State Party (NMSP) removed the KNU checkpoint flags,

“[NMSP] took down our flags at No. 4 checkpoint on October 15th. The fight started a day after the flags were removed. I am not sure how the thing had happened,” added Padoh Saw Eh Dah.

District-level leaders from both sides had attempted to negotiate agreements dating to early May of this year to address respective differences.