A seven-year-old boy was killed by Myanmar army shelling during fierce clashes in the southern Shan State town of Moebye late last week, according to resistance sources.
The fighting, which began at around 8am on Thursday, lasted more than 10 hours and also left dozens of junta soldiers dead, said an information officer for the Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF), one of the groups involved in the battle.
The body of the child, whose identity could not be confirmed at the time of reporting, was not recovered until late in the day due to the heavy exchange of fire between the two sides, the information officer said.
No casualties were reported on the resistance side, but at least 30 regime soldiers were killed, he added. Myanmar Now was not able to independently verify this claim.
A photo released by the KNDF a day after the fighting showed a number of weapons, including two MA-1 rifles, three MA-2 riles, four MA-3 rifles, and one MG-3 machine gun, as well as heavy artillery shells and other ammunition, seized by the resistance forces.
Myanmar’s military also carried out airstrikes in the area, both on the day of the fighting and on Friday, local sources told Myanmar Now.
Thursday’s battle reportedly started in Moebye’s Pwel Kone Ward 3. The town is located near the border with Karenni (Kayah) State.
The column of around 100 junta troops that took part in the fighting were from Light Infantry Battalion 422 and had marched to Moebye from Demoso in Karenni State, the KNDF information officer said.
Last month, a heavy build-up of regime forces was reported in Demoso Township as part of a push by the military to take complete control of the strategically important area.
According to the KNDF information officer, the junta army’s Light Infantry Division 66 has been setting up a permanent base in Demoso with the intention of using it to launch operations in surrounding areas.
“It appears they are trying to get into Moebye through Demoso,” he said.
Meanwhile, resistance forces have also been attacking junta outposts located between the villages of Wari Su Palai in Pekhon Township and Nang Mei Khon in Demoso Township since last Thursday. The two villages are about 3km apart.
The other groups involved in the latest fighting include the Karenni Army (KA), the Moebye People’s Defence Force (PDF), and the Pekhon PDF.
According to the Karenni National Progressive Party—the political wing of the KA—Myanmar’s military has been forced to abandon at least 13 bases it has held in Karenni State for decades due to attacks by resistance groups active in the area.
