At least 81 members of the regime's armed forces died and 44 were wounded during fighting with the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) Brigade 5 in Mutraw District, Karen State, where, 174 clashes took place in the first half of April.

A Burma Army (BA) corporal, sergeant and company commander were killed and three vehicles were destroyed, a KNU official told NMG. Only one Karen fighter was killed and seven wounded, while two civilians were killed by regime shelling.

“The BA often attack civilian villages and their farms where they work with artillery,” the official said, explaining that the junta has indiscriminately fired 340 shells from 1-15 April.

Fierce fighting is also taking place daily between BA and KNLA Brigade 6 in the neighbouring Duplaya District.

Since the coup over a year ago, fighting in the region has intensified and tens of thousands of civilians have been forced from their homes and fled towards the Thai border. However, border officials in Thailand have pushed most of them back to Burma or only allowed them to stay for a short duration.