Armed clashes continue in Myanmar's northern state

Armed clashes continued in Muse, Myanmar's northern Shan state, on Monday with an alliance of three ethnic armed groups numbering over 100 attacking Phangsai police station with small and heavy weapons from the hill, according to a press release of the Information Committee of the State Counselor's Office.

The three armed groups are Kachin Independence Army (KIA), Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Kokang's Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA).

A wooden bridge on Namtu-Baw Thwin highway was blown, halting the traffic on Monday morning.

The Lashio-Muse road near the entrance of Nanaun village, 32 km south of Muse, which was blocked by some heavy trucks robbed by the armed groups since Sunday night, have been cleared and opened on Monday morning by the government forces, said the press release.

Military conflicts broke out in border areas of northern Myanmar's Shan state early Sunday morning with the alliance of three ethnic armed groups launching simultaneous and surprise attacks on military outposts and police stations in Muse and Kutkai townships as well as a border trade center there.

The government claimed that a total of eight people including one soldier, three policemen, one militia and three civilians lost their lives and 29 others injured including nine policemen, two customs officers and 18 civilians.

Their attacks targeted government military outposts and police stations in areas of Muse, Kutkai, Monekoe, Kyukoke, Phangsai, Pangsang, Manken and Kyinsankyawk (Honang).

Meanwhile, four ethnic armed groups, including the Arakan Army (AA) in addition to the KIA, MNDAA and TNLA, on Monday claimed that they have "inevitably" launched a joint military operation on government outposts on Sunday as an alliance. Endit