Armed Ethnics Seize Strategic Hills From Myanmar Regime In Shan State, Kill Two Military Commanders

JAKARTA - The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance (MNDAA) troops managed to retake control of a strategic hill that the junta forces seized from armed ethnic groups earlier this week. The MNDAA and Myanmar's military have been clashing in Mongkoe and Pansai in northern Shan State since early July.

MNDAA fighters retook a hill near the village of Phaung Sai on Wednesday morning, after losing to junta forces in fighting on Monday night. Eight regime soldiers were killed and three MNDAA fighters injured in the clashes, reported The Kokang, a local media outlet.

"We can retake the hill, but there are regime forces around the football field of Phaung Sai village. We attach great importance to the hill. The fierce fighting will continue if they continue to attack us," an MNDAA commander said after the battle, as quoted by The Irrawaddy 2 September from The Cock.

On August 28, MNDAA claimed they found several bodies of soldiers of the Myanmar military regime, including two commanders, after the fighting in Mongkoe that day. Regime spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun confirmed that regime soldiers were killed and injured in clashes last Saturday. But denied two of their troop commanders were among the victims.

Myanmar military regime forces were also ambushed in Pansai on Monday, with the MNDAA claiming to have killed 15 soldiers and seized weapons in the crossfire. There were further clashes in Mongkoe on Monday, in which an ethnic armed MNDAA fighter was killed.

The Myanmar military regime has attacked the MNDAA 511 Brigade operating in the Mongkoe sub-municipality. More than 1,900 local residents were forced to flee their homes in Mongkoe and Pansai because of the fighting.

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