Through The Irrawaddy May 31, 2021

At least 11 junta soldiers, including a deputy battalion commander, were killed when the Alliance of Brotherhood of Three Ethnic Armed Groups launched a pre-dawn attack at around 1 a.m. on the light infantry battalion No. 123 of the Burmese Army in Namt Phat Kar, Kutkai township in Shan state on Monday.

The tripartite military alliance, which includes the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Rakhine Army (AA), attacked the junta troops inside the electricity office in Namt Phat Kar village, according to local reports. residents.

Fighting continued until 4 a.m., after which the Brotherhood Alliance troops left with ammunition seized from the junta soldiers.

A Brotherhood Alliance officer confirmed the fighting, but declined to provide details of the clash or the ammunition seized. The Kokang News Agency reported that the Brotherhood Alliance seized five rifles and more than 100 rounds of ammunition from junta soldiers, and published photos of what it said were the seized weapons.

The news agency also cited Brotherhood Alliance fighters as saying junta soldiers used methamphetamines.

“We started hearing gunshots around midnight and it continued until 4 am. There have been clashes in Kutkai for a few days. A villager from Namt Phat Kar was injured in one of her arms. Some houses were slightly damaged, ”said a member of the Humanitarian Strategic Team – Northern Shan State (HST-NSS).

The Muslim Brotherhood Alliance was in the process of signing bilateral ceasefire agreements with the Myanmar military when the latter staged a coup on February 1.

During the negotiation of bilateral ceasefire agreements, the two sides announced and extended unilateral ceasefires from December 2018 to March this year.

The alliance’s decision in March to extend its unilateral ceasefire by one month drew widespread criticism among the Burmese population as the military regime resorted to deadly violence against anti-regime protesters.

The alliance has not extended the ceasefire since April. On April 10, he allegedly attacked a police station in Naung Mon village in Lashio, northern Shan State. Fourteen police officers were killed in the attack, but the alliance has not claimed responsibility.

Although the alliance did not extend its ceasefire, the military regime extended its unilateral ceasefire on a monthly basis. On Sunday, he extended it further until June 30.

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The subjects: AA, ammunition, attack, Brotherhood Alliance, deputy battalion commander, EAO, junta, killed, Kutkai, light infantry, military, MNDAA, seized, soldiers, TNLA, troops, weapons