According to a KIA major the munitions were fired by government units stationed at Gangdau Yang Hka Ya Bum on Sunday, forcing them to pull back by mid-day.  If they did use cluster bombs this would be the first time weapons of this kind have been employed by Burma armed forces since they broke the ceasefire with KIO on June 9, 2011.

Cluster bombs are a specialized form of munitions that release explosive bomblets over their target area to kill enemy personnel and destroy vehicles. However if unexploded they can remain for years, indiscriminately killing civilians long after being deployed.  Burma is not a signatory to the international Convention on Cluster Munitions ratified by 77 nations which bans their use and production.  None of Burma's known weapon's suppliers China, India and Russia have signed the treaty.  Even the US is not a signatory of the treaty.

Hka Ya Bum is one of three former KIO positions close to Laiza that have been taken by government troops since Christmas. Starting last month, the Burma army launched a massive offensive on Lajayang; a strategic village located less than 6 miles from Laiza. During the offensive the army used Chinese made K-8 fighter jets, Russian MI helicopters and repeatedly shelled the area using105 mm and 120 mm cannons. According to the KIO, government troops also fired chemical laced mortars, which made many of the Kachin troops seriously ill.

KIO Deputy General Secretary-2 Lah Nan, who serves as the group's chief spokesperson told the Kachin News Group that they can still protect Laiza despite the recent setbacks.