More than 40 Myanmar regime soldiers and 11 People’s Defense Force members were killed during an intense clash following an attempt by resistance groups to raid military outposts in Pekon Township, Shan State on Monday.
At 5 a.m. on that morning, a force comprising members of the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF), the Karenni Army (the armed wing of the Karenni National Progressive Party) and two other PDF groups raided the military outposts near Shwe Pyi Aye and Lwal Pator villages in Pekon Township, southern Shan State, the KNDF said on Wednesday.
Just as the resistance forces were about to take control of the outposts, the Myanmar military struck back with heavy artillery strikes and troop reinforcements and held their positions.
The KNDF said the resistance fighters had to abandon their attempts to occupy the military outposts in the afternoon due to the intense attacks mounted by the regime reinforcements.
During the clashes, 11 resistance fighters were killed. The KNDF also claimed to have killed more than 40 regime troops and injured many others in the raid.
However, The Irrawaddy was unable to independently confirm the military casualties.
Showing photos of killed PDF members, a pro-regime Telegram Channel reported that regime forces seized the bodies of seven PDF fighters along with their firearms, adding that other bodies were retrieved by the PDFs.
Since mid-June, regime forces and ethnic Karenni resistance forces have been engaged in heavy clashes in Hpruso, Demoso and Loilin Lay townships in Kayah State and Pekon Township in neighboring Shan State.
The KNDF also said that a total of 30 clashes occurred in Kayah State killing 25 regime troops in June, adding that it seized 13 weapons.
Due to the junta’s arson attacks and shelling, 12 houses and two religious buildings were destroyed.
In the junta’s indiscriminate attacks, five civilians were killed and 22 others injured, the KNDF said.
Armed resistance to military rule in Kayah State began in late May last year, following the regime’s brutal crackdowns on peaceful anti-coup demonstration across the country.
Kayah State has become a stronghold of resistance against the junta.
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