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Fighting between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and Burma’s armed forces broke out today in at least five different places in northern Shan state after two Burmese army columns were sent to the area as reinforcements, local residents told the Kachin News Group (KNG).
Both sides suffered casualties from skirmishes near two towns - Pangsai (also Kyukok) and Mongkoe (also Munggu), situated along the Muse to Kutkai road route.
After nearly six decades of conflict, the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) signed a ceasefire agreement on June 9-10 with a Burmese government delegation after talks in Karenni state capital Loikaw.
The agreement leaves the Kachin Independence Organization as the only ethnic armed group still fighting Burma’s government forces.
Aung San Myint, the general secretary no. 2 of KNPP, told The Irrawaddy on Monday that 17 of the 20 points on the agenda were agreed upon, with the outstanding three points shelved for discussion at the next meeting.
The Kachin Independence Army created a new battalion near Pangwa last week, the former headquarters of the New Democratic Army-Kachin (NDA-K). The bulk of the troops in the KIA’s newest unit, Battalion No. 32, were previously members of an NDA-K faction led by Lauwa Zawng Hkawng who in 2005 was part of failed coup attempt against NDA-K leader Zahkung Ting Ying.
In 2009 the NDA-K was officially dissolved and its 1,000 troops transferred to Border Guard Force units 1001, 1002 and 1003. Many of the NDA-K rank and file resented being transferred to the border guard force. When fighting broke out last month near Pangwa between government troops and the KIO there were widespread defections among the border guard troops who were ex NDA-K.
The commander of the Burmese Army’s Northern Regional Military Command, Brig-Gen Zeyar Aung, told people in Pangwa, Kachin State, not to worry about the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) causing problems because his troops will wipe them out.
He made the statement at a meeting in Pangwa with the public, local militia troops and troops formerly of the New Democratic Army-Kachin (NDA-K) who were absorbed into the Burmese Army’s Border Guard Force in 2010.
La Nan, a spokesperson for the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO), the political wing of the KIA, said: “We heard what he said at the meeting about the government troops wiping out our troops.
Afghan soldiers and NATO - led coalition troops eliminated 22 Taliban militants in an operation in the country’s eastern Paktika province Monday night, an Afghan army spokesman said Tuesday.
“Afghan National Army (ANA) backed by coalition forces raided a Taliban hiding place in Nike district Monday night, killing 22 armed militants, “army spokesman Ajmal Zhwak said. He said no security force member was injured in the operation in the province, 155 km south of capital Kabul.