At least 20 Myanmar junta soldiers were reportedly killed on Thursday in fierce fighting with resistance groups in southern Shan State.
An intense firefight started at 9am on Thursday morning outside Moebye Town in Shan State’s Pekon Townshjp, when several People’s Defense Forces (PDFs), including fighters from the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF) and the Karenni Army (KA), attacked 100 regime troops trying to raid the town, according to Moebye-PDF, who were involved in the clash.
During nine hours of fighting, the combined resistance groups killed at least 20 military regime soldiers, a Moebye-PDF representative told The Irrawaddy on Friday.
Three resistance fighters suffered minor injuries, while a 10-year-old child from a residential ward was killed by junta fire. Many residents were trapped by the fighting, added the Moebye-PDF spokesperson.
A PDF photo shows resistance fighters retrieving weapons from four dead junta soldiers. Another PDF photo shows many weapons, including four machine guns, and ammunition seized in the clash.
Moebye-PDF said that it captured ten weapons along with ammunition.
On Friday morning, clashes between regime troops and resistance fighters were ongoing around Moebye, forcing hundreds of residents to flee their homes. Resistance forces were reportedly being targeted with heavy artillery and air strikes.
In the first week of September, at least another 20 Myanmar military soldiers were killed when KNDF and KA fighters attacked regime forces in Demoso, Hpruso and Bawlakhe townships in Kayah State and neighboring Pekon Township in southern Shan, said the KNDF.
