By Kantarawaddy Times
Ten soldiers of the Karenni Army (KA) have perished during fighting with the Burmese military in the largest fatality rate in a single day suffered by the armed wing of the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) since it formed in 1957 to fight for independence from the Bamar government.
“We are grieving our fallen heroes. This time we have lost so many soldiers in a single battle. It’s a massive loss for us, but there’s nothing we can do to change it,” Adjutant KA General Col Phone Naing told Kantarawaddy Times. He explained that the highest number of KA fatalities on one day in the past was five. The Karenni leader said the regime also suffered casualties, without giving further details.
On Thursday, the KA and other groups attacked the regime’s Artillery Battalion 360 and Infantry Battalion 135 and 54 on a strategic hill in Karenni near the BP 12 Kauk Kauk camp along the Thai border, according to the Karenni Military Information Centre. They seized a 120mm, 9mm, machine gun, 3 MA 2, MA 4 and 2 unidentified rifles as well as grenades, ammunition and other military equipment.
According to the civilian monitoring group Progressive Karenni People’s Force, 224 Karenni resistance fighters have been killed in action since the coup.
The KNPP has signed state-level and union-level ceasefire agreements at the state and union levels, but not the so-called Nationwide Ceasefire Agreement.
