The Htigyaing People Defence Force (PDF) killed a captain, second-lieutenant and at least seven other soldiers after a battle with a regime column that had burnt down people’s houses in a village in Htigyaing Township, Sagaing Region, the previous day.
“It’s the same column that burnt the houses of civilians in Hsupok Chaung. Our sniper killed the army captain in the clash,” an officer told KNG. The 80-member column reportedly attacked the village on 26 November and the PDF fought them near Ah Lae Taw at 8am the next morning.The officer explained that 5 PDF fighters were wounded.
The military sent a Yakovlev Yak-130 jet fighter to attack the group at 5pm, he said, after the regime suffered many fatalities.
Another PDF member said that shells landed near the pagodas on Payar Hill, but couldn’t confirm whether civilians were injured by the airstrike.
Locals have told KNG that the same column that attacked Hsupok Chaung also burned down houses in Ingyin Kon, near Ah Lae Taw, on 28 November. After clashes occurred with the PDF.
Over 3,000 civilians from 5 villages fled the fighting in the area.
