Myanmar troops shell Thai border village
Myanmar troops shelled a Thai border village in Mae Hong Son province on Thursday, prompting Thai forces to beef up security.
Myanmar’s 341st Battalion troops fired three 60mm shells into Tha Ta Fang village in Mae Sariang district at around noon, according to local reports. Villagers fled from the shelling in terror, while damage from the attack is still being assessed.
Thai forces responded by mobilising heavy weapons – two K120mm mortar guns – to support frontline soldiers at the neighbouring village of Tha Ta Kiang.
The shelling by Myanmar troops was retaliation for an attack this morning on their Da Kawin military base by Karen National Union (KNU) soldiers. Myanmar forces then threatened to shell Tha Ta Fang village as a suspected hideout for KNU rebel troops.
A KNU source said Myanmar troops in the area were running short of munitions and waiting for an air shipment of heavy weapons.