Over 60 Burmese soldiers killed by the KIA during defense of Gauri Krung-Maru Ying Sung

 Officials from the Kachin Independence Army claim that on Wednesday their forces killed more than 60 government soldiers attempting an offensive in Gauri Krung-Maru Ying Sung in Manmaw (Bhamo) District.

According to the KIA the heavy losses were inflicted by a combined force from the KIA’s Battalion No. 15 and their allies from the People’s Army, a sister force of the KIA.

While most of the estimated original group of 100 Burmese soldiers were either killed or had fled, the Kachin forces believe they have now encircled the remaining 30 troops , a People’s Army officer told the Kachin News Group (KNG) late Wednesday night.

A KIA officer on the scene said that Kachin resistance force’s casualties were minimal.   

Two days ago, the Burmese army overran the Loi Ying, headquarters of the KIA’s Battalion 15.  In June the Burmese army launched its offensive ostensibly to provide security for the Taping (Dapein) hydroelectric dam located near Loi Ying.

A KIA official named Zau Seng told KNG that the Burmese army recently sent more than 1,000 troops to capture territory belonging to the KIA’s Battalion 15, in an attempt to cut off the KIA’s Laiza headquarters from its 3rd Brigade based in Mai Ja Yang and 4th Brigade based in northern Shan State.

He dismissed the Burmese army’s claim that it launched an offensive in the area to protect the Chinese-run Dapein dam, as it was built in KIO territory with the group’s cooperation.

Fighting between the Kachin resistance and the Burmese army is currently taking place in the townships of Waingmaw, Hpakant, Myitkyina and Danai.

This story was compiled by our correspondent in Laiza, the headquarters of KIA in eastern Kachin State.