Armed Ethnic KIA Attack 4 Headquarters Of Myanmar Police Battalion, A Commander Is Died

KIA soldiers, the armed ethnic military wing of Kachin State. (Wikimedia Commons/Paul Vrieze VOA)

JAKARTA - The Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the military wing of the armed ethnic of Kachin State, has launched an open attack against the Myanmar military regime.

This time, it was the turn of four Myanmar Police battalion headquarters in Hpakant, Kachin State, Sunday 28 March. A number of Myanmar police reportedly died, as well as a number of weapons confiscated by KIA.

Two of the four headquarters of the Myanmar military regime's police battalion that was attacked are in Lone Khine village, local residents said. Meanwhile, about 20 policemen from the battalion in Hpawa village were reportedly killed.

"Only two policemen escaped. The rest were killed. And a battalion commander from the police was also killed," the resident told Myanmar Now.

Another battalion that was attacked was near the village of San Khar. A spokesman for the Myanmar military regime did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the fighting.

The KIA attack took place around 3:00 a.m. and continued into the early hours of 28 March.

Zaw Nam, a resident of Sangkha village, near Hpawahtake village where one of the police battalions is located, said he could hear gunshots and heavy weapons until 6:00 am.

"KIA confiscated police weapons in Hpawahtake. They died, the police looked badly injured," he said.

In this regard, KIA information officer Colonel Naw Bu said there were no details regarding this attack because no field reports had yet been issued.

He said heavy artillery had been fired from the base of the Myanmar military regime's Kharagone, near the Kachin headquarters in Laiza on March 27.

Since the coup on February 1, KIA has been involved in frequent battles with the Myanmar police and military in KIA-controlled areas in northern Shan State. KIA seizes the Alaw Bum junta military base in Dawphoneyang, southern Kachin State, on March 25.

A resident of the state capital Myitkyina said that the regime's armed forces used helicopters to carry out airstrikes against KIA in Alaw Bum, but Kachin forces were still able to take over the site.

The KIA 8 Brigade issued a statement on Sunday urging the coup regime to end its bloody crackdown on peaceful protesters in Myanmar, stating that the KIA will fight alongside citizens against the dictatorship.

Separately, the armed ethnic of Karen National Union (KNU) has opposed the coup and has also carried out military offensives against junta soldiers on its own territory in southeastern Myanmar.

The KNU seized the Thee Mu Hta military base in the Mutraw district of Karen State on 27 March. The number of casualties in the attack remains unconfirmed. The photo shows at least seven military prisoners.

Myanmar Coup. The VOI editorial team continues to monitor the political situation in that one of the ASEAN member countries. Casualties from civilians continue to fall. Readers can follow the news covering the Myanmar military coup by clicking this link.