“Our men were patrolling as usual in the area when the government troops came at us out of the blue, without any warning," said Col. Sai La.

The Shan State Army-South has recently been engaged in clashes against the Ta'ang National Liberation Army.

One civilian was killed on Tuesday and hundreds more were displaced in northern Shan State’s Kyaukme district as fighting broke out between the Shan State Army-South, a nationwide ceasefire agreement signatory group, and the non-signatory Ta’ang National Liberation Army.

The group also reportedly called for the Tatmadaw to release two villagers who were detained during a raid on a SSA-S facility in the village of Panpwe.

The Shan State Army-South accuses the Burmese army of arbitrarily detaining civilians during clashes in central Shan State’s Mong Kung Township.

According to the SSA-S, the Burmese army provoked a firefight when it raided what the Shan militia claims was a drug rehabilitation camp in Tonlaung.