Clash between military, rebels claims mother and son

Published on Thursday, 31 January 2013 16:12

Two civilians were killed and three injured during fighting between government troops and the Kachin Independence Army on Tuesday night about 30 kilometres from the state’s capital of Myitkyina, local residents said.

They said the fighting occurred near the junction of a highway and railway linking the state capital to Mandalay. It began at 7pm and lasted for one-and-a-half hours, they said.

Government troops fired heavy weapons at Kachin rebel positions, but one rocket hit a home in Mayan village, killing a mother and son and wounding a father, son and grandfather, residents said.

The three injured members of the family are receiving treatment at Myitkyina Hospital.

“I don’t know which troops fired first,” said the father Aung Nu. “We were hiding in a bomb shelter. We heard the sounds of different weapons and a heavy weapon exploded near us. My wife and our eldest son died in the blast,” he said.

The bodies of mother and son were cremated at the village cemetery yesterday afternoon.

“Fighting should not occur near civilians,” a village resident said. “Innocent people were killed. All armed groups, whether government or rebel, are bad for us.”