Thursday, August 11, 2011

SSA-N and SSA-S launch joint attacks against Burmese government

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Thursday, 11 August 2011 20:32 Kun Chan

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – Joint forces of Shan State Army-North (SSA-N) and Shan State Army (SSA-S) on Tuesday attacked government troops, according to a Shan spokesmen.

SSA-N Battalion No. 801 and SSA-S troops attacked a government military base on Kyethi-Mong Naung Road near Wunphaint village, killing four government soldiers and wounding six others, according to the SSN-A.

Troops of the Shan State Army-South on parade.
Photo: Mizzima
“On Tuesday around 6:20 a.m., we carried out an attack. Our joint force also carried out similar attacks in other places.  In our area, fighting breaks out every day in one place or another,” Major Sai Hla, the SSA-N spokesman told Mizzima.

Major Sai Lao Hseng, the spokesman of SSA-S, said that joint forces have launched attacks on government troops since July. The attacks were mostly in Shan-controlled areas.

“Our forces carried out counter attacks using guerrilla tactics,” Major Sai Lao Hseng told Mizzima.

On May 21, SSA-S Lieutenant General Yawd Serk told the media at a ceremony to mark the 53rd Shan State Revolution Day that the SSA-S and SSA-N had recombined their forces. Later, Major Sai Lao Hseng said that the SSA-S and SSA-N had an agreement but the discussions had not been completed. After Burmese government troops launched a major military offensive against SSA-N, the talks could not be continued and joint operations had been delayed.

Earlier, Major Sai Hla said that nine out of a total of 14 government battalions besieging the Shan State Progressive Party (SSPP) headquarters in Wanhai had withdrawn and the remaining Burmese battalions were positioned three miles southeast and five miles west of Wanhai headquarters.

Government troops have attacked SSA-N forces since July 11, and the fighting has continued.

A statement issued on Wednesday by the Shan Women’s Action Network (SWAN) and Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF) said that because of the fighting, more than 30,000 war refugees from northern Shan State have fled to safer locations and are in need of humanitarian aid.

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