On Sunday, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) ambushed a column of the Burma army and the Wu Yang People’s Militia Force (PMF) in what locals described as a retaliatory strike against the regime forces near a waterfall in Waingmaw Township, Kachin State.
“A few weeks ago, the Burma army and PMF attacked the KIA checkpoint near the waterfall,” a man from Sadung town, who wished to remain anonymous, told KNG.
Sunday’s fighting on the outskirts of Sadung lasted for an hour, but it’s still unclear how many casualties there were on both sides, the man told KNG. He said the PMF is under the command of U Shwe Min and a total of 50 soldiers, including those from the regime, were engaged.
On 8 May, the regime and the PMF killed three civilians at the KIA checkpoint near the waterfall. One was a vendor, the others worked for the KIA at the checkpoint. The armed groups captured 70,000 Chinese yuan ($10,000) and nearly 500,000 kyat ($240).
The next day, the KIA attacked 35 soldiers of the regime and the PMF as they burnt down the houses of the victims in Sadung.
Before the coup, the military and the PMF controlled the checkpoint until the KIA seized it and allowed local men to collect money from travellers there.
KIA Battalion 3, under Brigade 5, frequently clashes with the regime and the Wu Yang and Bawm Lang PMFs along the road from Waingmaw to Kanpaiti where the Kachin troops are based.
