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KARENNI STATE – The battle continues to be intense in Loikaw and Pekhon and the air and artillery strikes of the junta council set fire to the houses, according to local reports.
Although the exchange of fire paused in Loikaw after December 18, battle resumed on the morning of December 23.
“Junta infantry battalions 54 and 250 fired heavy artillery from the morning till around 1 p.m. The Y8 planes also came and bombed the area. Most houses in the region of Naungyar lake and Meethat hill caught on fire and even monasteries were burned,” said a Loikaw resident.
A Karenni military source said that the junta council has been intentionally carrying out bomb and arson attacks on the houses near their remaining bases in Loikaw so that they can hold onto Loikaw.
“All the houses surrounding their stations have been burned to ashes. At least three houses are burned down every day. Mainly, they are making sure that the revolutionary forces won’t have any cover when launching attacks on them,” explained a member of the Karenni joint force battling in Loikaw.
Over one month has passed since the Karenni joint force launched Operation 1111 on November 11 to capture Loikaw and the revolutionary forces currently have control of two thirds of the city, stated Tactical Commander Arlu of Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF) Military Tactics 2.
However, there still remains around ten junta stations and bases in Loikaw which the revolutionary forces are trying to capture.
In Loikaw, in addition to the Loikaw Regional Operations Command which is the main base of the junta council, there are also the bases of infantry battalions 261, 54 and 250, artillery battalion 362, military hospital no. 7 and ordnance corps 722.
A battle is similarly reported to have took place in Pekhon Township at the Shan-Karenni border on December 23 morning.
An officer from the Karenni joint force confirmed that there was a battle but did not disclose additional information.
Karenni joint forces have captured a junta hill camp in upper Saunankhe Village of Pekhon Township on December 11.
Junta light infantry battalions 337 and 421 are based in Pekhon.