Over 9,000 villagers flee to Mae Hong Son amid armed clashes in Myanmar
Armed fighting continued in Myanmar’s eastern Karenni State on Friday (August 4) while more than 9,000 Myanmar villagers displaced by the recent clashes are taking shelter in the northern Thai province of Mae Hong Son across the border.
Fighters from the ethnic Karenni Army (KA), which operates in the state bordering Mae Hong Son, clashed with troops from the Myanmar military on Friday, according to a high-ranking KA source.
The fighting started after the Myanmar military sent in reinforcements to their base located about five kilometres from the Thai-Myanmar border, opposite Mae Hong Son’s Muang district, the source said.
The fighting involved mortar shelling, combat drone attack, and firing from a jet fighter, according to the source. The source also said that a KA attack damaged three trucks used by the Myanmar military to transport their weapons and food supplies.
Five temporary shelters in Mae Hong Son have accepted a total of 9,033 people, seeking refuge from the clashes in Myanmar.
Three of the shelters are located in Mae Sariang district, and one each in Khun Yuam and Muang districts. The largest shelter in Muang district has a total of 3,886 displaced people from Myanmar.
