The Tatmadaw launched an offensive on several ethnic armed organizations in the Northern Alliance in northern Shan State despite that both the Army and the alliance declared their own unilateral ceasefires.

Burma Army’s LID-88 and LID-99 attacked the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) battalion-501 and Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) battalion-335 in Tarmoenye sub-township.

A Kachin Independence Army (KIA) officer, who spoke to KNG on condition of anonymity, says the fighting began at 8 a.m. Wednesday and lasted nearly the entire day.

“Burma’s army attacked MNDAA’s battalion-501, under brigade-511, and TNLA’s battalion-335 from three corners,” he says.

LID-88 and LID-99 surrounded Northern Alliance member groups, based on Kong Lim hill, from Tarmoenye, Mungji, and Nampaka and shelled them. The Burma Army’s Mungji strategic command fired at least 20 artillery shells at MNDAA and TNLA, says the KIA officer.

Despite launching a unilateral ceasefire on May 10, ostensibly to allow the Army and ethnic armed organizations to facilitate measures for the prevention of COVID-19, Tatmadaw soldiers have been arresting civilians and raiding villages, according to a civilian from Muse Township, who spoke to KNG on condition of anonymity.

The source says LID-99 troops have been moving through Muse and Kutkai townships since late April, pillaging homes on the way.

The KIA officer says the Tatmadaw declared a unilateral ceasefire until August 10 everywhere in the country except in Rakhine and Chin states to attack the Arakan Army (AA).

The Northern Alliance—AA, MNDAA, and TNLA—announced an extension of its unilateral ceasefire from June 1 to August 31.