Myanmar army breaks ceasefire days after agreement, TNLA says

The military reportedly seized a position held by the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) in northern Shan State’s Kyaukme Township over the weekend after agreeing to a ceasefire with the ethnic armed organisation and its allies last week. In a statement published on its Telegram channel on Sunday, the TNLA’s information team condemned the junta for breaking the deal on Saturday. The group alleged that Myanmar army troops overtook a TNLA post near the entrance to Kyaukme town, located on the highway connecting it to Mogok in Mandalay Region. After around two hours of fighting with the Kyaukme-based Light Infantry Battalions (LIB) 501 and 502, the TNLA said it abandoned the position. It was not clear at the time of reporting how long they had occupied it. The group also said that the military had fired five rounds of artillery in Lashio and Mogok townships on Sunday, just four days after China facilitated a ceasefire during talks in Kunming, Yunnan Province, between the junta’s forces and those of the Brotherhood Alliance of ethnic armed organisations; the coalition includes the Kokang Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and the Arakan Army, in addition to the TNLA. Myanmar Now was unable to make contact with the TNLA to obtain further information about the weekend attacks at the time of reporting. On Monday, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) continued to target the military’s last major stronghold in northern Shan State’s Kutkai Township, the base of LIB 123 in Namphetkha village tract, a spokesperson for the group said. “As far as we know, clashes are still raging there,” KIA information officer Col Naw Bu told Myanmar Now. “We haven’t received any information about the takeover of Namphetka from ground sources yet.” Residents of the town claimed the area was under KIA control since Sunday night, but Myanmar Now was unable to confirm the information. The KIA has been attacking the base since December 28, locals said. At least five people were reportedly killed and two injured as junta aircraft bombed residential wards in response to the assaults on December 29.

Myanmar army breaks ceasefire days after agreement, TNLA says

The Ta’ang ethnic armed organisation accuses the junta of taking a post from the group in Kyaukme and firing multiple rounds of artillery in Lashio and Mogok

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