Members of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) carrying weapons appeared at a military base in Thingyan Nyi Naung village, on the outskirts of Myawaddy (Myanmar-Thailand border city) in Myanmar on April 15 – Photo: REUTERS
According to Reuters, a spokesman for the Karen National Union (KNU) rebel group said their “temporary withdrawal” from Myawaddy city took place after a counterattack by the Myanmar army in an important strategic area. this important.
“The (KNLA) army will destroy the soldiers of the Myanmar military government and their support forces – who have marched to Myawaddy,” KNU spokesman Saw Taw Nee expressed determination. The Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) is the armed wing of the Myanmar rebel group KNU.
Fighting broke out recently in Myawaddy, forcing 3,000 civilians to flee as rebel forces confronted the Myanmar military.
It is known that rebel forces have controlled the key commercial city of Myawaddy (Kayin state) on the Myanmar side of the border since April 11, dealing a strong blow to the Myanmar military government.
However, reports from the field in Kayin State, southeastern Myanmar, show that the Myanmar army is reinforcing its forces to take back this town from rebel forces, according to the magazine. Nikkei Asia.
Photos posted on several social media sites supporting Myanmar’s military junta showed some soldiers raising the Myanmar flag at a military base that the KNU controlled just days earlier.
According to Mr. Saw Taw Nee, the Myanmar army – which is waging a counter-offensive to regain Myawaddy – was able to enter the area with the help of a regional militia group.
Myanmar’s military government has not yet commented. Meanwhile, the Thai Government called on Myanmar to prevent fighting from spilling over the border, according to Reuters News Agency.
Thailand reassured
According to the magazine Nikkei Asia On April 24, Thai Government officials affirmed that the security situation and refugees on the side of the country’s border with Myanmar are under control, even when there was information that Myanmar soldiers were deployed to reclaim the border city from rebel forces.
Thai Defense Minister Sutin Klungsang said the country sent “a friendly, but warning message” to the Myanmar military government about the issue of violating Thai territory or airspace.
Mr. Sutin said in Mae Sot (a city in western Thailand that shares a border with Myanmar) on April 23: “We do not need to increase our response readiness level any further at this time. Today We were able to send messages to the other side, about whether planes were flying into the area or not.
Tags: Myanmar rebel groups withdrew strategic cities Thai border
