Clashes between the Tatmadaw and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) erupted in several remote villages of Kutkai Township, Shan State, in recent days, sending possibly hundreds of locals fleeing to Kutkai town and the neighbouring township to the south, Hseni.

“Since 4 February, some villagers fled their homes to Kaung Ai village in Hseni Township because their village was bombarded with shells. The displaced are currently seeking refuge in a shelter inside the compound of a monastery,” said Reverend Khun Gaung from Hseni.

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Much-needed development programs for Myanmar’s remote, war-torn Kachin state have been hindered by fighting between the national army and an ethnic armed group, the state’s chief minister said Monday.

Myanmar’s northernmost state bordered by China and India has been rocked by a resurgence of conflict since 2011 when a 17-year bilateral cease-fire agreement between the two sides broke down. The clashes have left hundreds dead and more than 100,000 displaced.

The latest round of fighting began early this year when government soldiers launched air strikes in the Tanaing township gold and amber mining region, an area controlled by the KIA which relies on its natural resources as a source of income through the levying of a five-percent tax on mine operators.

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Two Burmese military fighter jets again dropped bombs on KIA positions at Dawi Post and Chyahkya Bum in Danai Township on Jan 31 at 2:13 pm.

Similarly, two fighter jets dropped bombs on Hka Shang and Hka Chyang Hku in Mansi Township in southern Kachin state on the same day at around 3:20 pm.

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Militants attacked an Afghan army unit guarding a military academy in the capital of Kabul on Monday, killing at least 11 soldiers and wounding 16, officials said. Hours later, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) affiliate in the country claimed responsibility for the assault.

It was the latest in a wave of relentless violence in Kabul this month unleashed by the Taliban and rival ISIS militants that has killed scores and left hundreds wounded.

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A suicide car bombing in Afghanistan on Saturday killed 95 and wounded more than 150 people near a police checkpoint in the country’s capital of Kabul, according to the Afghan Public Health Ministry.

The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, which comes one week after another Taliban-claimed attack on a luxury hotel in Kabul left at least 22 people dead.

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