Burma Army shells from Thai side of the border to attack Karen fighters

Last week the Burma Army and its militia, the Border Guard Force used the sanctuary of Thailand’s territory to attack Karen soldiers based in Hlaingbwe Township on the Burma side of the Moei River.

Major Maung Lay, from the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army’s Klo Htoo Lar unit confirmed that the Burma Army attacked his soldiers and both sides fired artillery shells in an15-minute skirmish. Major Maung Lay said two soldiers on the Burma Army side were wounded and one medic from the Karen combined forces was arrested by the Burma Army.

“They [BGF] were on the Thai side across the Moei River when they fired at us with RPG-7 and M-79. We fired back at them with M-79’s.”

The Karen National Liberation Army is still trying to locate the whereabouts of the missing Karen medic.

Brigadier General Saw Jonny, the commander of KNLA Brigade 7 told Karen News.
“Two of our fighters, including the medic, were fishing in the Moei River when the fighting started. The BGF were shooting at our camp from the riverbank on the Thai side and the Burma Army where shooting at us from the Burma side, we were caught in the middle. We lost our medic during the fighting.”

Karen fighters said this is the first time the BGF and the Burma Army have attacked from the Thailand this year. But in November 2010 the Burma Army fired shells into the Thai border crossing area at Rim Moei injuring several people. In February this year convict reporters were shot at and injured on the Thai side of the border as they escaping from Burma Army soldiers.

This latest attack happened in the Mae Taw Waw area that is currently under the control of the KNLA Brigade 7, Major Tamala unit and the DKBA’s Major Saw Beeh’s Klo Htoo Lar unit. The BGF’s 1012 and Burma Army’s Light Infantry Battalion 339 also operate in the area.