Five ethnic armed groups, including two major Karen and Shan rebel organizations, held peace talks with a Naypyidaw delegation at the Thai-Burmese border on Saturday and three informally agreed a ceasefire, according to sources.

The Karen National Union (KNU) and Shan State Army-South (SSA-South) met with a Burmese government delegation led by Aung Min, the minister for railways, who was sent by President Thein Sein.

“We talked about peace. We asked what was the role for ethnic armed groups in the government’s peace process,” said Maj Sai Lao Hseng, a spokesperson for the SSA-South.

“The Minister, Aung Min, explained to us that there are three steps toward the emergence of peace—a ceasefire, cooperation between ceasefire groups and Naypyidaw for development, and a meeting hosted by the government to tackle unsolved political conflicts,” he added.

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Putting the onus of peace talks on the Mamata Banerjee-led West Bengal government, the Maoists in a letter to the interlocutors, publicised on Monday, called off the mutual cease-fire agreed earlier.

“The one-month cease fire agreement we entered with you has expired Oct 30. Since then, there has been no communication on the issue either from the government or you. In wake of this, we declare the end of cease-fire,” read the letter dated Oct 31 and signed by Communist Party of India-Maoist state secretary Akash.

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Three policemen were killed when a group of Taliban suicide bombers attacked the headquarters of Samkani district in southeastern Paktia province on Thursday, officials said.

Another two policemen were injured after they started a gun-battle with the attackers. Three attackers blew themselves up at the gate of the government building and the two others who tried to enter the compound were shot dead by police, governor’s spokesman, Rohullah Samoon, told Pajhwok Afghan News.

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The Democratic Karen Buddhist Army’s (DKBA) Brigade 5 reached a ceasefire agreement with a Burmese government delegation on Thursday, said the DKBA Brigade 5 leader, Brig-Gen Saw Lah Pwe.

Saw Lah Pwe told The Irrawaddy on Friday that he signed a ceasefire agreement with a Burmese delegation on Thursday. He said that fighting had stopped and some government troops that previously were deployed on the frontlines had begun to withdraw from areas controlled by DKBA Brigade 5.

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Four government soldiers were killed and several injured during fighting yesterday with the Kachin Independence Army on the Loije-Bhamo Road, in Kachin State, said witnesses.

The heavy fighting lasted for three hours at Du Ra Kawng, between Sinlum Bum and Lungja Bum, near N’Mawk (Momauk), in Manmaw (Bhamo) District, witnesses said.

Today, at about 3 a.m., a government military truck from Manmaw picked up several wounded soldiers from the area, said eyewitnesses from N’mawk.

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