A fierce battle broke out between the local Karenni Defense Forces and the Military Council near a village in Loikaw Township in Karenni (Kayah) State. Both sides suffered casualties, Colonel Phone Naing, leader of the Karenni Army (KA), said.

“ We heard that 15 of the enemy were killed. On our side, one KNDF (Karenni Nationalities Defense Force) member was injured, and a PDF (People’s Defense Forces) fighter was martyred”, he said.

The battle raged fiercely from 10:00pm on February 4th to 2:00 am, and the Junta’s battalions pounded with artillery numerous times. The Military Council’s shelling caused some damage to the Church of Our Lady of Sorrows, and destroyed more than 20 houses.

An information officer of the Karenni Compassionate Rescue Team said, “Starting around 10:30 pm, the artillery began firing almost continuously throughout the night. About 20 houses and a church were damaged. One of our comrades died in the battle. Except for one person who was slightly injured, no civilians were hurt.”

More than 20 houses in Waryikawkhu village were destroyed by the Military Council’s barrages. About 70 artillery shell pieces fired by the Military Council were collected from the area, he added. The shells found were of the 60 mm and 120 mm types.

On February 3rd a place in the east of Loikaw was bombed by the Military Council’s air force and a camp sheltering internally displaced people (IDPs) as well as a temporary school, documents, and food were burned and destroyed.

The Progressive Karenni People Force (PKPF) announced on February 1st that Karenni State has experienced more than 500 battles and nearly 200 airstrikes in the two years since the coup. The Military Council keeps conducting attacks on civilian areas where there is no fighting with artillery and fighter jets.