September 29th, 2023
In Karen State, following the residents of Kawkareik, the battle started in the north of Kawkareik Township and the military council troops fired continuously with heavy weapons.
A resident of Kawkareik said that the HlaingWa Artillery of the Military Council regime opened fire with a large weapon after hearing the sound of gunfire in the north of Kawkareik on September 28, at around 10:30 p.m.
“At around 10:00 or 11:00 p.m., I heard sounds like gunshots but there was no sound of heavy weapons yet. After about 5 minutes, they shot with a large weapon, continuously, outside the Town, toward the north side of the Kawkareik. There were no casualties. Nothing happened in the town,” said a resident of Kawkareik.
There are frequent clashes between the military council army and KNLA joint forces in the villages near Kawkareik town, and after this battle, the military council army’s infantry regiment (97) and Hlaingwa artillery often fire heavy weapons blindly.
Moreover, the KNLA sources said that at present, the military council army is continuing to deploy its military forces in Kawkareik town, and the places where the KNU army was stationed before, in the vicinity of Kawkareik town, are continuously firing with heavy weapons and conducting forces as well.
Additionally, a KNLA source said that KNLA joint forces are on standby due to the possibility of fighting in the vicinity of Kawkareik Township.
“The current operational situation is that these guys(the military council) are also preparing to advance steadily.” Our troops are also preparing for the battle. Now these guys are shooting at the places where the KNU was stationed before, when KNU and the military council agreed to peace,” he said.
In addition to the full security of the Military Council in Kawkareik, they are continuously patrolling through the town with three passenger vehicles, including a large military vehicle reported by residents of Kawkareik.
“The patrol goes around every night, but with a military vehicle but not consistently. There are about a large military vehicle and three passenger cars. In the past, they shot people out at night, but now they don’t shoot anymore and it’s calmed down,” said a resident of Kawkareik.
The infantry regiment 97, the HlaingWa Artillery, and the infantry regiments 545 and 546 subordinated to the Military Council opened fire with heavy weapons toward the villages on the sides of Kawkareik Township and Kyondoe Township in Karen State, causing more than 15 local homes to be damaged and more than 20 residents, including children, to be injured in an accordance with the news and statements of Duplaya district.
News – Ko Phyo
Photo – old picture
Phar Si Than (People’s Radio Myanmar)
