Fighting continues in Myanmar Kokang region

Fierce fighting continued in Laukkai, Myanmar's Kokang region in northeastern Shan state, Thursday with the government forces seizing one more strategically important hill point-1479, the military-run media Myawaddy reported Friday.

The fighting took place as peace talks in Yangon between Myanmar government and the country's ethnic armed groups entered the third day.

Using air strikes, the government troops attacked the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), taking the Kokang stronghold near villages to the north of Kongyan town.

In the battle, one government forces member died and 30 others were wounded, the report said.

While the military columns are combing Laukkai area, engagements occurred with the MNDAA almost on a daily basis.

Myanmar military also claimed that during its air strikes against the Kokang ethnic army over the past two weeks, it has captured a number of strategic hills in the heavy fighting.

Unconfirmed statistics show that, as of now, the government side suffered 101 deaths with 276 wounded, while 104 bodies were seized from the MNDAA with 30 being arrested.

Meanwhile, Peace negotiators of the Myanmar government and ethnic armed groups agreed in their third-day peace talks on Thursday in Yangon to discuss Kokang issue separately after the end of the present seventh round of peace talks at the request of the 16 ethnic armed groups' National Ceasefire Coordination Team ( NCCT) which is making a peace deal with the government's Union Peace-Making Work Committee (UPWC). Endi