Nine people arrested by soldiers in their villages after fighting with Karenni forces are still being held by the Burma Army (BA) in Loikaw Township, Karenni State.

A local source told Kantarawaddy Times that the military has released two villagers it abducted in eastern Loilan Lay, but is holding nine people in its detention camp.

All were arrested after fierce fighting with Karenni Army (KA) and Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF) near the villages of Dor Tahey and Kun Ner between 28 August and 3 September.

The BA raided villages in the area and arrested 7 civilians, including an elderly couple, from Kun Ner on 4 September. They arrested two boys herding cattle, one herding buffalo and a farmer who was forced to lead the soldiers.

The military has released the elderly couple, but there’s no information about the others yet.

The fighting in Loilan Lay has displaced many people and they’re afraid to return to their homes.

”Some (IDPs) internally displaced persons are still working on their farms and quickly return to their camps in the evening,” said a local source, explaining that they’ve to look out for BA soldiers patrolling the area in vehicles.

According to the KNDF, on the evening of 23 September, it and KA attacked BA near the village of Kong Tha, which is next to Kyaukse Lake in Demawso Township. Many civilians were forced to flee the area in heavy rain after the BA attacked villages.

Around the same time, Karenni forces ambushed the BA in Pekon Township in southern Shan State.

According to Progressive Karenni People’s Force, an unarmed youth group that documents human rights violations in the region and works with Karenni National Progressive Party, the political arm of KA, the junta arrested 124 people in Karenni State from 1 February to 18 September.