A battle took place on Monday between the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) 9th Battalion troops and Burmese army troops from 123rd Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) near Chying Htawng village in northern Shan State at 10:30 am. No casualties on either side have been reported so far.

Another battle took place on the same day between KIA’s 3rd section troops under 36th Battalion and Burmese army’s 241st LIB troops at a location between Gyu Mwi and Ba Hpang village in northern Shan State at around 12:30 pm. This battle lasted for about 35 minutes and there were no known casualties, said a KIA source.

The same two sides, KIA’s 36th Battalion troops and Burmese army’s 241st LIB troops, engaged in a fierce battle near Nam Gut village in northern Shan State on February 22 at 5 am.

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The Burmese army has increased its troop movements in the past weeks by rotating some frontline troops, and expanding its controlled territory by capturing some KIA frontline posts. Troops under 33rd Light Infantry Division (LID) who have been stationed in Gang Dau Yang, Ja Pu, Na Hpaw, and Nam San Yang returned to Myitkyina last week. More government troops under 3rd Military Operation Command (MOC) have been sent to Bum Re, Nam Ngau and Gang Dau Yang.

A local source says Burmese army troops have been building a motor road between Sumpyi Yang and Ntsi Yang to reach KIA’s 3rd section post in 1st Brigade area in Kachin State.

This article was originally published in Kachinland News on 25 February 2014.