Regime informants suspected in deadly attack on KIA camp

Junta airstrikes that killed at least 20 people at a Kachin Independence Army (KIA) training camp last week have raised concerns about possible regime infiltration, according to sources. The precision with which the camp was hit suggests that the military knew its exact location, a local man with ties to the KIA told Myanmar Now. “There are rumours that a junta informant may have been among the trainees,” the man said, adding that an investigation into the incident, which took place in Kachin State’s Shwegu Township on September 17, is currently underway. “They are investigating whether the informant escaped or was among the dead. The junta could not have bombed the site without precise information,” he said. The site of the camp, operated by Battalion 12 of the KIA’s Brigade 11, had only recently been cleared for use, he added. According to KIA spokesperson Colonel Naw Bu, there had been no fighting in the area at the time of the attack. He added that he could not provide any further details about the exact number of casualties. On social media, pro-regime accounts claimed the attack had left around 50 dead and many more injured. This is the second time this year that the military has carried out a mass killing of young people receiving training from the KIA in Kachin State. In March, airstrikes killed at least 38 recent recruits in Mohnyin Township, northwest of Shwegu. Shwegu Township borders Bhamo Township, where the KIA and its allies have engaged in major clashes with Myanmar’s military since late last year. The junta has relied heavily on airstrikes and naval assaults to defend its positions in the area. As part of a recent counteroffensive, the military recaptured two key bases near the town of Bhamo earlier this month, six months after losing them to the KIA-led forces. Fighting has also been heavy in Hpakant Township, where a junta drone attack on the village of Htone Bo reportedly left one man and one woman dead on Friday. Clashes have also been reported in Waingmaw Township, east of the state capital Myitkyina, and on Friday, junta forces reportedly carried out attacks near Lanse, a town in the far north of the state close to the Chinese border. China has repeatedly called for a ceasefire in Kachin State and other areas along its border. Since launching a major offensive in March of last year, the KIA has taken control of hundreds of junta camps and more than a dozen towns in Kachin State, as well as Mabein in northern Shan State.

Regime informants suspected in deadly attack on KIA camp

The precision of airstrikes that killed at least 20 KIA recruits last week suggests the military knew the camp’s exact location, sources said

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