At least 20 military personnel have been killed and four more have been captured in a clash with guerrillas in Demoso, Kayah State, in central-eastern Burma.
About 100 military personnel launched an offensive to try to recapture the localities on the road linking Demoso to Nanmekhon seized at the end of November by the insurgency, according to the portal The Irrawaddy, citing sources from the guerrilla Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF).
The military bombarded the guerrillas with artillery and aircraft, but after a day of fighting on Saturday the military desisted in the attack. The guerrillas also seized weapons and ammunition.
According to the KNDF the military belonged to the 108th Infantry Battalion, which they hold responsible for the massacre of 35 civilians, including women and children and two Save the Children workers near Moso, also in Kayah State, on December 24, 2021.
Burma has been mired in civil war since the Army seized power following the 2021 coup. Since then, more than 2,500 people have been killed in junta operations and another 16,500 have been detained, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners of Burma (AAPP).
