6 May 2021
KNU announces that more than 190 military personnel have been killed and over 200 hurt during the over-one-month-fighting between Karen National Union (KNU/KNLA) and military troops.
KNU had stated in the Announcement of KNU Information Centre on May 5 that “starting from March 27 to May 5 2021, there has been 407 confrontations between Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and the military troops, apart from ‘camp-capture-battle’. In those confrontations, 194 personnel of military council, including 1 Colonel, 1 Lieutenant Colonel, 1 Captain, 1 Lieutenant, 1Second Lieutenant and 1 Warrant Officer, died and 220 hurt.”
Moreover, it also stated that many local people were killed and hurt due to the airstrike bombing and the artillery attack by military council.
In such announcement, KNU added that “fourteen civilians were killed and twenty-eight were hurt due to the airstrike bombing and the artillery attack by military council.”
Fighting are more intensifying in KNU Brigade (5), Brigade (1) and Brigade (3). There are also the confrontations with military troops in Brigade (2), Brigade (4), Brigade (6) and Brigade (7).
KNU officially announced that during this over-one-month-fighting, 575 heavy artillery were fired by military council into the villages, the farms, fields or gardens and 47 bombs were dropped in the territory of KNU which was attacked 27 times through military choppers.
KNU added that the military troops misappropriated the provisions of the locals such as rice, oil or salt and confiscated more than five million kyats.
After February 1 coup there have been military tensions and serious confrontations between military council and ethnic armed organizations.
At present, there are confrontations between military troops and region-based ethnic armed organizations in Kachin, Karen and Northern Shan States.
by NMG
