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Myanmar gov't forces capture one more Kokang army's strategic hill

Xinhua, April 10, 2015 Adjust font size:

Myanmar government forces have captured one more strategically important hill of the Kokang ethnic army in the latest series of fierce battles amid the country's peace process, the military-run media Myawaddy reported Friday.

In the offensive launched by the government forces using heavy weapons on Point-1845 on Wednesday, 10 government soldiers were killed with 62 others being wounded.

The Point-1845 hilltop is more than 1.8 kilometers high and located about 4 kilometers from the Myanmar-China border.

The government forces continued to clear the surrounding areas, the report added.

The military claimed total control of Kokang region in northeastern Shan state in heavy fighting which erupted since Feb. 9.

The Kokang ethnic army, also known as the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), was once the first ethnic armed group which made peace with the then military government.

Despite regaining stability in Laukkai, the capital of Kokang region, with some shops being opened by regional people for business, heavy engagements between the two sides reportedly continued in Kokang region in March almost on a daily basis amid peace talks in Yangon.

Unconfirmed compiled statistics show that, as of now, the government side suffered 122 deaths with 349 wounded, while 104 bodies were seized from the MNDAA with 30 being arrested.

Meanwhile, peace negotiators of the Myanmar government and ethnic armed groups concluded negotiation of a draft nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA) on March 30 and the draft accord was preliminarily signed in Yangon on March 31, leaving the formal signing to be completed after the draft NCA is approved by top level of respective sides.

The ethnic armed groups' Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) negotiating peace with the government insisted that the MNDAA is a member of the NCCT and exclusion of it in the signing of the nationwide ceasefire agreement will be impossible to gain peace and the NCA would not be complete. Endi