Martial law has been declared in Sadung Township, Kachin State, after the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) arrested a civilian informant of the Military Council on February 12th, according to a KIA frontline source.

Following the arrest of the informant in Sadung, KIA captured the Deputy Battalion Commander

of the 389th Infantry Division and subordinates, on the morning of February 13th between Sadung Falls and Bumtaung village, as they were driving on their way to inspect a gold mining site.

An officer of the KIA 3rd Battalion told KNG news, “It all started when we captured a military informer. We investigated him and squeezed some valuable information from him .That same night, they increased their military force and tightened security in the town, ordering people not to go out after 9.00 pm. and enforced martial law. Yesterday morning, we intercepted and arrested their Deputy Battalion Commander and his crew near Sadung Falls. As of last night, they have very tight security measures in the town.”

The Military Council troops then marched to the place where the Deputy Battalion Commander was arrested, and also suffered casualties. After that the Military Council has tightened security

day and night around the hill where the Sadung Tactical Operations Center is based, and in the town.

There are also reports that Tin Aung Kyaw, the commander of the Tactical Operations Center in Sadung Township, instructed to shoot on sight,anyone who leaves their home after 9.00 pm..

The name of the deputy battalion commander captured by the KIA and the number of his crew are still being investigated.

In August last year, fierce fighting broke out between the 3rd Battalion of the KIA’s 5th Brigade and the Military Council near the villages of In Wan Kong and Bumtaung along the Sadung- Kanpaikti highway. After that KIA was able to operate around the Sadung Falls.