Arms Clash With KNLA, 65 Soldiers Of The Myanmar Military Regime Killed And 101 Injured

JAKARTA - At least 65 soldiers of the Myanmar military regime were killed and 101 others injured, in armed clashes with the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA).

The military wing of the Karen National Union (KNU) explained that the figure was based on armed clashes in Mutraw District (Hpapun). Among the injured was a battalion commander of the Myanmar military regime army.

Thoolei News, which is under the Information Department of KNU's ethnic armed forces, posted on their Facebook page last Monday that all the dead and injured were from 133 battles between the KNLA and the Myanmar military regime during last July.

"The (military regime) commander who was injured occurred in one of 29 battles that took place during the third week of July," the news outlet said.

In the fighting, five houses belonging to residents were reportedly destroyed. KNU also reported that the Myanmar military regime was responsible for 25 episodes of artillery fire on civilian areas. Four civilians also set off a landmine explosion.

Citing Colonel Saw Kler Doh, spokesman for the KNLA's 5th Brigade, whose territory is in Mutraw, Thoolei News said two personnel from the Border Guard Force allied to the military surrendered to the KNLA in July, with four small arms seized at the same time.

With three KNLA soldiers also reportedly injured, the Myanmar military is also said to have stolen livestock from residents, including buffalo and cows. Although, at the time of reporting the Myanmar military regime had not responded to the KNU accusations.

Meanwhile, the shooting by the military regime's 409th Light Infantry Battalion in Thaton District, which belongs to the KNLA's 1st Brigade area, also injured a resident of Nyaung Kone Village during this period, Thoolei News said.

In addition to fighting with the KNLA, the military regime's armed forces have engaged in battles with the Kachin Independence Army in Kachin and northern Shan State.

The Karenni Army in Kayah State (Karenni) and the Chin National Front in Chin State also fought alongside other local resistance forces against the junta.

Although the military regime on July 31 announced they would halt all 'military activities' for two months, throughout August and September. However, the People's Defense Forces and armed ethnic organizations questioned the sincerity of the announcement.

This is because the Myanmar military has long often declared temporary unilateral ceasefires in its war against armed ethnic organizations, then repeatedly violated it.

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