Recent reports indicate that a conflict has erupted between the Myanmar military junta and joint forces of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in Kunlong township, located in the Lashio district of Shan state.

According to local residents who spoke to the Shan Herald, a skirmish erupted between the Military Council troops and joint forces of the KIA-PDF on March 7 between 1:00 and 2:00 p.m. The conflict took place in Pharsan village, located in Kunlong township.

An anonymous source, who is familiar with the incident informed the Shan Herald that a member of the KIA joint forces was killed during the clash.

“Yesterdaya battle that lasted almost an hour took place. It’s possible that the Military Council suffered some casualties. Following the fighting, the KIA forces discovered one body of the PDF, along with one K-12 gun and cartridges,”  revealed the unnamed source.

A PDF member of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) joint forces was reportedly killed during the battle, but Shan Herald is still investigating the casualties of the Military Council.

The battle erupted after a Military Council convoy, which was patrolling the area, encountered the PDF column of the KIA joint forces. Following the Military Council’s seizure of power in 2021, its troops launched indiscriminate shelling and airstrikes, which led to the deaths and injuries of numerous civilians.

Despite being a signatory to the Geneva Conventions, the Military Council violated the Conventions, which explicitly prohibit the deliberate targeting of civilian populations in armed conflicts and the intentional killing of civilians in such attacks.