Two Burmese army helicopters fired with rockets and machine guns on KIA’s capital security forces currently stationed at Hpunpyen hill and Laja-yang area on Jan 8 at 3:30 pm.
Burmese army’s rockets from helicopters reportedly hit Marau La Nan’s temporary house. Marau La Nan and his family members are Internally Displaced Persons who fled from intense fighting in their village to an IDP camp in Laiza in 2011. La Nan’s wife said they opened a small makeshift tent shop near Laja-yang gate selling food and other items to local travelers to support her children go to school. Their makeshift tent was totally damaged by Burmese army’s rocket fire from air. “All we have is this small shop and now everything is gone,” said La Nan’s wife.
Local sources say fierce fighting continue between KIA’s capital security forces and Burmese army troops under Mong Nawng-based MOC-2 at Dung Hkung and Hpunpyen hill on Jan 8. The two sides engaged in fierce fighting for two times beginning 5:45 am. Burmese army’s fighter jets supported ground troops for four times during the battles by firing rockets and dropping bombs from air. Hpunpyen hill is a strategically located near Dawhpum-yang and important for security of KIO administrative capital Laiza.
On Jan 7, two government fighter jets and three helicopters fired with rockets and machine guns and dropped bombs on KIA positions around Hpunpyen hill, N-tap hill and Hka-ya for two times at around 4:30 pm.
Two rounds of fierce fighting took place between KIA’s 24th Battalion under 5thBrigade and Burmese army units under Bhamo-based MOC-21 at the base of Hpunpyen hill on Jan 7 at 5:30 pm and 6:45 pm. At least 40 government soldiers and three Kachin soldiers have been maimed in this battle in this battle, reported a local source.
Despite government’s claims that its army is just clearing the path to reach stranded Burmese army posts near Laja-yang, many local observers and reporters from Burmese media say government is actually carrying out a major offensive to control surrounding areas near Laiza and even the city itself. According to local sources, about 10,000 government soldiers have been killed in this Burmese army’s offensive war that begun in June 2011, one fighter jet and one helicopter have been shot down, thousands of artillery shells have been fired by Burmese army’s artillery units 367th LIR, 321st LIB stationed at Dawhpum-yang Hkangkai hill and Npawn village’s prayer mountain. So far, President Thein Sein’s quasi-civilian government has not revealed the true intention of current offensive against KIO/A and Kachin civilians.
A local Kachin observer lamented, “while current offensive operation, called “Moe Gyoo, Lighting Operation”, also called “Carpet Bombing Operation” indicating government’s indiscriminate air strikes, is clearly more than clearing the path for logistic support to a Burmese army post, governments and authorities are reluctant to condemn Burmese army’s violations including bombing and killing innocent civilians in order not to upset ongoing reforms taking place in lower Burma.”
