Buildings on fire in a ward in Kyone Doe Town on March 25.
Clashes are continuing in southeast Myanmar’s Karen State following an outbreak of fighting between military regime troops and Karen resistance forces on Saturday.
Fighting erupted early Saturday morning near the Myanmar-Thailand border trade zone in Myawaddy Township, the key trade route between Myanmar and Thailand. The two-story border trade department was torched in the clash and border trade has halted with vehicles stuck on the road, according to traders.
A combined force of fighters from the Karen National Liberation Army and Karen National Defense Organization, both armed wings of the Karen National Union, and local People’s Defense Forces are clashing with junta troops.
There were also clashes on Saturday in Kawkareik, Kyainseikgyi and Thandaunggyi townships in Karen State. Sources close to the front line said that the regime carried out airstrikes during the fighting.
Two civilians were killed on Saturday in Kyone Doe Town in Kawkareik and several others injured, after junta forces fired artillery following an attack on the town’s police station by resistance fighters.
Hundreds of Kyone Doe residents were trapped by the fighting and over ten houses were burned down, according to locals.
Fighting continued on Sunday with the regime conducting airstrikes. Around 1,000 people were displaced by junta artillery strikes in a village outside Kyone Doe.
By Monday, the clashes had spread to Kawkareik Town. The Irrawaddy was unable to clarify the extent of casualties.
Karen resistance groups have warned people not to travel the Myawaddy-Kyone Doe road.
On January 23, junta troops and Karen resistance forces engaged in fierce fighting around the Gyaing River near Kyone Doe. Junta artillery strikes inflicted civilian casualties and displaced around 1,000 people from at least five villages.
