Myanmar police, civilians killed in border town attacks

By Kyaw Ye Lynn

YANGON, Myanmar (AA) – At least two police officers and a number of civilians were killed Saturday in an attack in a remote town in Myanmar near the border with China, according to officials.

The ethnic rebel group Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) said they launched surprise attacks on three military outposts near and in Muse, a major trading town in northeastern Shan state, earlier in the day.

The group said in a press release on its Facebook page that the attacks were in response to the growing militarization in the region and heavy military offensives against their allies -- the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in northern Kachin state.

Thousands of people have been forced to flee their homes as fighting between the military and KIA has escalated in Kachin state over the past few weeks.

A Myanmar military spokesperson confirmed to Anadolu Agency that the three outposts near Muse had come under attack.

“Deadly fighting occurred this morning,” said General Nyi Nyi Tun, director general of the Tatmadaw True News Information Team.

“Some including civilians were injured in the attacks,” he added, but declined to give details.

A staff member at a police station in Muse said two officers were found dead with gunshot wounds.

“One is our officer,” said the police officer, who asked not to be named as he was not authorized to speak about the attacks.

Sai Tun Ko Ko, a resident and member of ruling National league for Democracy (NLD) in Muse, said he witnessed rescue workers removing dead bodies after the fighting.

“I saw them carrying at least 14 bodies. Some were civilians. Some were militia members," he told Anadolu Agency by phone.

The TNLA, along with three allied ethnic rebel groups -- KIA, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and the Arakan Army (AA) -- attacked military checkpoints, police outposts and the 105th Mile Trade Zone in Muse in Shan state in November 2016.