The Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) has claimed control of the town of Papun in Karen State from the control of Myanmar’s junta. It is the armed wing of the pro-independence political party Karen National Union (KNU).
According to a report published in The Irrawaddy, a Myanmar-based media outlet published in Thailand, the KNLA took over the town on the same day that the junta forces were celebrating the country’s Armed Forces Day last Wednesday.
KNU spokesman Sao Kalel said on Thursday that even after taking control of the town, the KNLA and allied fighters continued to target the 19th Infantry Battalion stationed near the town. Apart from this, the junta forces continued to bomb civilian installations. Sao Kalel said that this is what the Jantasana usually do after losing control of the city.
Papun City is located in the border region of Thailand. As a result, the region has distinct strategic importance. The rebels have been fighting to control the city since March 20. However, Irrawaddy’s claim of occupying the city could not be verified impartially.
Meanwhile, the Arakan Army (AA) has claimed control of the 552 infantry battalion headquarters of the junta in Buthidang town in Rakhine State. At this time, several junta soldiers surrendered, and the rest fled.
Apart from this, there is also a fight between the Junta Army and the Arakan Army over the control of the Kayin Chaung outpost in Mangdu suburb on the border with Bangladesh. Last Monday, 100 members of the government police force deployed at the outpost surrendered to the Arakan Army.
Meanwhile, in the Lashio region of northern Shan State, renewed fighting broke out between the junta army and the rebel Myanmar Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) on Tuesday. The region is home to the headquarters of the junta’s North Eastern Command. This effectively broke the Chinese-brokered ceasefire between the junta authorities and the MNDAA. The Irrawaddy
Insurgents claim to occupy a new city in Myanmar’s Karen state
