Two civilians and several security personnel were killed in a clash at a security checkpoint near Moppalin intersection on the Yangon-Mawlamyine highway in Kyaikto Township, Mon State, at about 5:30 a.m. on March 31, according to locals.

A resident in the town of Theinzayat, where the incident took place, told DMG that fighting erupted when Brigade 1 of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), the armed wing of the Karen National Union (KNU), and coalition forces opened fire on a security checkpoint near the Moppalin junction.

“Gunfire was heard at the Mopplin security checkpoint earlier this morning. The KNLA and local defence forces reportedly opened fire on the Myanmar military at the security checkpoint,” the resident said.

Eight junta soldiers and police personnel, as well as a member of the KNLA coalition, were killed in the attack, according to the KNLA. The Myanmar military dispatched reinforcements to the Mopplin security checkpoint, near the border of Bago Region and Mon State, and fired several artillery shells, local sources said.

Two civilians were also killed in the clashes, according to a source close to the KNLA coalition forces.

“The KNLA coalition attacked the Moppalin security checkpoint at 5:30 this morning. As the Myanmar military suffered heavy casualties, more than 20 artillery shells were fired, killing two locals,” the source added.

The Myanmar military has not yet commented on the Thursday incident’s casualty count.

Two days earlier, two children were killed in a clash between the KNLA and the Myanmar military at a location near the border of Mon State’s Bilin and Thaton townships, according to local sources.