The Burmese troops are from four battalions under the Northern Regional Command--- Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) No. 437, based in N’Mawk (Momauk) , LIB No. 319, based in Man Je (Mansi), the Mohnyin-based Infantry Battalion (IB) No. 15 and Myitkyina-based IB No. 21, according to local KIA sources.
A KIA soldier in the fronline in Bhamo district in Kachin State. Photo: Kachin News Group
A joint-force of KIA soldiers and the Civilian Defense Force, Battalion No. 27, commanded by Major Yaw Htung, attacked a truckload of Burmese troops from IB No. 15 yesterday morning near Pungling Village, Man Win Township, in Manmaw (Bhamo) district, after Burmese troops entered the KIA’s restricted area.
The Burmese battalion commander, Lt-Col Yin Htwe, was killed and seven troops were injured in the attack.
A medical doctor was also seriously wounded according to KIA sources. He died while being transported from Nam Hkam Public Hospital to a hospital in Ruili (Shweli), the Chinese border trade city in the country’s southwestern Yunnan province, KIA sources said.
Currently, five injured soldiers are hospitalized in Muse public Hospital, in Northern Shan State, hospital sources said.
A KIA civilian fighter was also killed in an accident in the area of the fighting about 4 p.m. yesterday, said KIA officers.
KIA sources also said Brig-Gen Zeyar Aung, commander of Northern Regional Command, based in the Kachin capital, Myitkyina, told the KIA that he did not order the troops to enter KIA territory, but that the intrusion was an accident.
The KIA said it had to use force because the Burmese troops entered the controlled area after ignoring the KIA’s warning.
The Dai Lawn Rung, military command headquarters of the KIA, granted “permission to shoot” to all KIA troops in Kachin State and Northern Shan State, if Burmese troops enter KIA territory, according to KIA officers.
The KIA officials said the fighting will escalate if the Burmese junta sends its troops to the frontlines.
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