A Burmese Fighter Jet down, soldiers Torching Mongkoe City

Kachinland News (KLN) | December 4, 2016

A Burmese fighter jet was down today at Namsu village near Mongkoe city at around 2:30 pm. It was not immediately known whether the fighter jet was shot down or it was a technical fault.

The fighter jet was spotted in a forest near Namsu village, a Mongkoe resident said. He said, “After the fighter jet was down, Burmese army troops who remained in Mongkoe city and reinforcement troops started torching civilian houses.”

Bombing raids on Dec 4 began early morning and Burmese fighter jets dropped several bombs on civilian houses in Mongkoe.

Burmese fighter jets have been launching one of the most intensive air raids for four consecutive days on Mongkoe city in Burma’s civil war history. Lahkyuk Lum Nyi, a mother of three, was killed in her house in Mongkoe on Dec 3 by rockets from fighter jets. Several civilian houses have been hit and burnt since the beginning of the air aids on the city on the first day of December.

Two fighter jets came at a time to bomb Mongkoe city for most of the time and there was a time when 6 fighter jets came all together at the same time on December 3, said a refugee who fled to Man Hai, a Chinese border town located just across Mongkoe, and witnessed Burmese fighter jets bombing indiscriminately.

Chinese civilians living along the China-Burma border have been evacuated to Mangshi and larger cities by Chinese authorities leaving refugees who crossed the border for temporary shelter on Dec 2. Following Chinese civilians evacuation, refugees were seen scattering on the streets of Man Hai, Chinese border city, fearing Burmese military’s scorched earth bombing.

Battles continue to rage in Mongkoe area between Northern Allied troops Burmese army. Several Burmese troops are still remained in Mongkoe and Burmese army troops have been reinforced by helicopters, and ground troops from Pangsai and Mongyu. Local sources reported that Burmese army’s reinforcement included troops from Inndine-based 11st Light Infantry Division and Magway-based 88th Light Infantry Division.

Meanwhile, exchange of artillery fire between KIA and Burmese army troops have been reported in Gidon and Lai Hpawng area. Several skirmishes took place in northern Shan State between Northern Allied troops and Burmese army.