Burma-Myanmar: Burma army and Kachin Independence Army (KIA) battle for second straight day in Shan State
The MHH fighters in Pangsai (Kyukok) area in Northern Shan State
Units from the Burma Army and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) continued to clash Thursday morning, as fighting in the Pangsai (Kyukok) area of northern Shan state carried over for the second straight day.
The fighting broke out at 9 am local time near Seng Htu Hkyet (Jang Hpang Kawng) in the same area where clashes took place yesterday, said Zau Seng, a commander from the Pangsai-based 5th Section unit of the Mungshawa Hpyen Hpung (MHH or People’s Army in Kachin), a militia affiliated with the KIA’s civilian wing the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO). The MHH are a civilian force made up of local Kachin volunteers who frequently fight alongside regular KIA forces.
The latest clashes involved troops from the Burma Army’s Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) No. 507 and a combined group of troops from KIA Battalion 36 and their allies with the 5th Section of the MHH battalion, according to Zau Seng.