Storm troops arrive

Storm troops arrive 

50-military trucks carrying troops from Light Infantry Division 33 from Sagaing reached the staging area of Nakawngmu in Mongton Township, opposite Chiangmai Province, last night to attack the Pang Maisoong stronghold seized by the Shan State Army last week, reported a S.H.A.N. source this morning. 

"We didn't know it was the 33rd last night, because it was dark and already 11 p.m.," said the source. "But this morning their insignias were plain for everybody to see." 

However, most of the troops must have marched off into the night to Mong Jawd and then to Mongtaw, 16 km north of Pang Maisoong, opposite Chiangmai's Wianghaeng District before the trucks reached Nakawngmu, he said, "because we saw only a few of them in each vehicle." 

There are already 1,000-1,200 local troops in Mongtaw plus 4-5 howtizers from the 385th Artillery Battalion, under the command of Col Than Myint from Mongton, taking positions around the besieged SSA fighters. 

The LIDs are known for their "keep-on-coming" charges against the strongholds of rebels despite heavy casualties on their part that generally force the outnumbered and outgunned insurrectionaries to abandon their positions.