Ethnic army intercepts junta convoy on Thai-Myanmar border — Radio Free Asia

An armed ethnic group intercepted a junta convoy close to the Thai-Myanmar border on Thursday, based on an announcement from insurgent forces.

The Karen Nationwide Liberation Military, an armed department of the Karen Nationwide Union, together with different allied teams, captured the final remaining junta Infantry Battalion 275 close to a border city in Myanmar’s Kayin state on Wednesday. 

In response, the junta launched state-level offensive “Operation Aung Zeya” to seize Myawaddy metropolis, based on a Karen Nationwide Union assertion launched Thursday. 

Karen Nationwide Liberation Military joint forces destroyed army automobiles, together with an armored car, whereas junta troops had been marching enroute to Myawaddy, it continued. Based on the Karen Nationwide Union, greater than 100 junta troops had been injured and killed, and the group was stopped at Dawna Hills, a mountain vary extending by Kayin state.

Radio Free Asia  reached out to a Karen Nationwide Union spokesperson by cellphone as we speak to study extra in regards to the retaliation, however he didn’t reply.

On excessive alert

A Myawaddy resident who wished to stay nameless for safety causes advised RFA that the Karen military had warned some villages about junta airstrikes, which started on Tuesday night.

“The villages close to Infantry Battalion 275 have been ordered to be evacuated by the Karen Nationwide Union resulting from air raids,” he mentioned. “On April 18, persons are telling one another to evacuate ranging from as we speak.”

Civilians are ready to go to Thailand by the Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge, whereas different Myawaddy residents are monitoring the scenario, he mentioned, including that everybody is frightened. 

One other resident within the border metropolis mentioned the non-alighned Karen Nationwide Military, previously the junta-aligned Border Guard Power, are patrolling the streets and warning the residents to be ready to evacuate rapidly if heavy combating breaks out.

Junta forces fired with heavy weapons and bombarded villages alongside their marching route throughout their offensive, inflicting civilian casualties and property injury, the Karen Nationwide Union’s assertion mentioned.

The junta has not launched any info on the assault. RFA referred to as junta spokesman Maj. Gen. Zaw Min Tun for extra info, however he didn’t choose up the cellphone.

Since April 5, the Karen Nationwide Liberation Military and joint forces have captured the junta camps 355, 356 and 357 in Kayin state’s Skinny Gan Nyi Naung city, along with Falu camp and Kyaik Don Byu Har hill camp and others round Myawaddy metropolis.

Translated by RFA Burmese. Edited by Kiana Duncan and Mike Firn.