In northern Shan State, fierce fighting broke out between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Burma Army (BA) in the Mongpaw area and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and regime soldiers in Muse District.
A local told SHAN that the KIA fought against the BA in the mountains near Mongpaw on Wednesday morning, but could not say if there were any casualties.
According to another local, there were clashes between the MNDAA and junta soldiers in Hpawng Hseng village tract on the same day. ”Two fighter jets attacked the MNDAA four times,” said the man who asked not to be named. He told SHAN, he counted 20 shells and heard gunshots between 8 and 11 am.
The junta has been attacking the MNDAA since June last year, but is still unable to defeat the Kokang soldiers stationed on the border with China. There are reports that more BA troops have been deployed to the area.
According to Kokang media, many junta troops died in the clash and the MNDAA captured weapons and other military equipment but it is not possible for SHAN to independently confirm this information.
Both the KIA and the MNDAA are members of the Northern Alliance as well as the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Arakan Army (AA). The TNLA is fighting the regime in northern Shan State, while AA has stopped fighting in Arakan State and southern Chin State, but has supported other Northern Alliance members in fighting in Shan State.
