Fighting flares between Arakan army and govt troops



YANGON: -- Fighting broke out on Sunday between the Arakan Army (AA) and government troops in Kyauktaw Township of northern Arakan State, according to the ethnic armed group, which released information on the skirmish on Monday, The Irrawaddy reported.

The fighting took place near the Sittwe-Yangon highway in Kyauktaw Township, around 6 km from the Mahamuni Pagoda, and continued on Monday morning when government troops called in reinforcements.

The Arakan Army claimed several Burma Army troops were wounded but said it was still assessing casualties.

Hla May, founder of the Kyauktaw Women’s Network, confirmed that fighting had broken out in a sparsely populated area near Ram Chaung tributary.

Myanmar Army troops clashed several times with Arakan Army forces in a number of areas in the western state beginning in late March. Following the fighting, at least 20 people were detained under Burma’s Unlawful Association Law for their alleged links to the armed faction.

According to Kyauktaw Township authorities, at least 18 Arakan Army soldiers were arrested following the fighting earlier this year.

Source: http://englishnews.thaipbs.or.th/fighting-flares-between-arakan-army-and-govt-troops


-- Thai PBS 2015-12-29

Good to see things are getting back to normal in Myanmar...there for awhile the government seemed to be getting control of the country...