Burmese Army Conducted Air Raids and Artillery Units Relentlessly Pounding KIA Positions

By Tsa Doi La / Kachinland News | December 28, 2016

Burmese army fighter jets carried out three separate bombing raids on KIA’s Lai Hpawng Post, Mai Saw Post and Sama Krung from 9:50 a.m. – 11:20 a.m. on December 27. Following the airstrikes, the Burmese army ground troops made advances to Njum Bum at around 1:35 in the afternoon.

The Burmese army troops advancing from Daga Yang which sits next to Lai Hpawng Post also attacked the KIA forces at around 2:10 p.m. but retreated at 4:40 p.m., according to a frontline source. The source also reported of Burmese army artillery units pounding Nga Gyeng Bum in 3rd Battalion area with heavy mortars.

KIA’s Lai Hpawng post was overrun by Burmese army troops at around 4:30 pm.

On December 26, Burmese army troops began heavy artillery bombardment at  KIA’s Lai Hpawng, Hpau Daw, Mai Saw, Law Hkum posts and surrounding areas beginning at 7:00 a.m., followed by air strikes at 7:45 a.m. Deadly clashes erupted between KIA troops and Burmese army ground troops advancing towards Lai Hpawng post at around 2:30 in the afternoon. Burmese army offensives in areas controlled by KIA’s 3rd Battalion troops under 5th Brigade began on August 17, more than four months ago.

On December 26 from around 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m., Burmese army troops based at Dingga, Njun Bum, Point 1103 and Dabak reportedly fired 20 heavy artillery rounds towards KIA positions at Hpau Daw, Gaga Krung and Sama Krung. On the same day at around 11:37 a.m., two Burmese fighter jets conducted air raids along Lai Hpawng and Samda Bum positions, the source reported.

Meanwhile in northern Shan State in KIA’s 6th Brigade area, TNLA troops from 34th Battalion and Burmese army troops from 148th Light Infantry Battalion clashed at around 8:00 a.m. on December 26, another source reported.