Burma-Myanmar: Clashes between Kachin Independence Army (KIA) rebels and army as it has tried to open a new front
As the fighting between Kachin rebels and the Burmese army intensifies in northern Burma, the military tried to open another front on Friday, according to Kachin sources. They reported that government artillery units and helicopters launched attacks in the Lajayang area nearby the rebels’ headquarters, located on the Burma-China border.
Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) spokesman La Nan said army helicopters could be seen and heard from the KIO headquarters in Laiza, as they pounded Kachin ethnic rebel bases in the hills around Lajayang.
“We heard gunfire and mortar shelling from our headquarters. It is the first time they came to fire at our bases near Laiza by using aircrafts,” he said. “The government troops approached our bases as close as four to seven miles from our headquarters, and fired at our bases. They used both air and ground forces.”
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