A Burmese army outpost in Namtu, northern Shan State, came under a surprise assault by an unknown armed group in the early hours of Sunday morning, according to local sources and police.
A Namtu town resident told DVB by telephone that government forces’ 324th Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) lost two men when their camp, located about a mile outside the town, was attacked.
“We heard gunshots accompanied by explosions at the 324th LIB outpost at around two in the morning [on Sunday]. The assault lasted just over an hour,” he said, adding that he and other villagers were later told that two Burmese soldiers had been killed while another was injured.
When contacted by DVB, a Namtu township police officer confirmed that the attack had occurred, but was unable to confirm the number of casualties.
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Namtu is situated about 50 kilometres northwest of Shan State capital Lashio, and has seen exchanges between several militias who are active in the area, including the Shan State Army–North, Shan State Army–South, the Ta-ang National Liberation Army, and the Kachin Independence Army, all of whom have been engaged off and on in hostilities against government forces in recent years.
