Junta thrust driven back

Junta thrust driven back, says Shan source

Wave after wave of assault by Burma Army units backed by heavy weapons were repelled by the Shan force at a strategic mountain opposite Chiangmai today, said a Shan resistance source. 

Pakhee, the Burma Army's base until Sunday when the Shan State Army under Yawdserk's command occupied it, was attacked at 09:00 at a location called Honok, 3 km north of the Shan command post. According to the source, the access to Pakhee is Honok, so named because of its likeness to a bird's head. 

The combined attacking force was made up of 5 battalions: IB 225 (Mongton), IB 227 (Mongkhark), IB 43 (Mongpiang), IB 49 (Monghsat) and LIB 519 (Mongton). Another source, however, said it was not IB 227 but IB 277 stationed in Mongton. They were joined by IB 65 later in the evening. 

"More than a hundred 81-mm mortar shells hit the mountain," said the Shan source, "but our fighters have so far managed to push the attackers back." 

He said Brigade 727, commanded by Maj Ternkhurh, whose operational area is Mongtom Township, also set up ambushes along the Mongton-BP1 motorway. "We killed 3, wounded 7 and destroyed one army truck between Maeken (50 miles from the border) and Monghang (40 miles from the border) in one such attack." 

Sources from the Thai army said it would be difficult, if not impossible, for the junta army to reoccupy Pakhee since it could be approached only through Honok. " Of course, the alternative is to attack it from the Thai side like they did at Pangnoon (Mae Fa Luang District, Chiangrai, on 9 February)," said a border watcher. "But the Thai Army is unlikely to allow such border intrusions to happen again." 

Results of today's clashes on both sides are still not available, though the casualty figure of last night's minefield encounter was given as 3 killed.