The forces of the Military Council, clashed with the Kokang Army in Hseni (Theinni) township in Lashio district of Shan state, resulting in the death of many Junta troops.

The battle began around 11:00 AM on January 14th, when the Military Council troops attacked the base of the Kokang Army, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), near the Namsalap village tract of Hseni township, a person close to the Kokang Army told Shan Herald.

“The Military Council launched an offensive against MNDAA’s base.The battle lasted until 1:30 PM, then the Military Council had to retreat. Their vehicles repeatedly came to the combat zone to collect the dead bodies, and the wounded”, he said.

The MNDAA did not know exactly how many casualties that the Military Council troops suffered in that battle.

According to the Kokang news agency, a Kokang media outlet, more than 30 Military Council soldiers were killed or wounded in the battle.

This offensive from regime forces was unexpected. The local observed that “the battle took place after the Military Council announced a year-long ceasefire from January 1st to December 31st, 2023, so that announcement became a joke. The Military Council announced a ceasefire and then launched an offensive against us. So their own  announcement turns into a joke”, he told the Shan Herald.

Although the Military Council announced a one-year ceasefire in order to continue the process of peace talks, the fighting on the ground has never stopped in the new year.

“Tensions are still there. The Military Council is filling the trucks with reinforcements. he locals did not have to flee their homes because of the fighting”, he added.