Eight Myanmar Soldiers Killed In Clashes With Ethnic Armed KNU

KNLA troops escort civilians demonstrating against Myanmar's military coup. (Twitter/@sapphire_htet)

JAKARTA - Fighting broke out between the Myanmar military and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) at four locations outside the Karen State capital, Hpa-an on Monday 21 June, killing eight junta soldiers, according to the ethnic Karen National Union (KNU) armed forces.

The KNLA, the military wing of KNU, clashed with the armed forces of the Myanmar military regime in the Lay Taw Gyi, Melan, Guh Bee Htwee, and Mee Bon areas under the Brigade 1 of the Karen troops, about 20 miles from Hpa-an, a KNLA official told AFP. Myanmar Now.

"There was intense gunfire at Lay Taw Gyi and Mee Bon, but there were no casualties on our side. But at least eight military soldiers were killed and two injured," he was quoted as saying Wednesday, June 22.

On June 14, the KNLA 1st Brigade and the Myanmar army initially clashed in Hpa-an. KNLA officials said the fighting was caused by operations by the Myanmar military regime forces with the allied Border Guard Forces (BGF) in the state.

The territory of the 1st Brigade includes the townships of Bilin, Thaton, Hpa-an, and Kyaikhto in the states of Mon and Karen. Since the February 1 coup, there have been five clashes in Thaton and one in Kyaikhto, according to KNU and KNLA sources.

"Now Bilin, Kyaikhto, and Thaton have calmed down. There has been no activity or confrontation," said a KNU official.

Thoolei News KNU reported Monday's clashes took place at four locations around Hpa-an, stating that eight junta soldiers were killed and four injured.

In the area of the KNLA's 3rd and 5th Brigades fighting has intensified since the February 1 coup, with the military suffering heavy casualties and tens of thousands of people displaced by artillery fire and regime airstrikes.

A colonel in the 5th KNLA Brigade said more than 350 soldiers of the military regime were killed in Mutraw District, Karen State.

At the time of reporting, the KNLA in the area had raided at least two Myanmar military bases and forced the retreat from at least three regime camps.

For information, as of June 21, at least 873 civilians were killed and 6,231 people detained, of which 5,045 people are still in detention according to the Association for Assistance to Political Prisoners (AAPP).

Myanmar Coup. The VOI editorial team continues to monitor the political situation in 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.