Kawkayeik, 7 December
Locals and drivers trapped in town and on the Asian highway during Kawkayeik battle in Karen State were rescued by resistance forces and rescue teams, said the residents.
The Kawkayeik battle, which started early in the morning on December 1, continued for the sixth day on December 6, and the intense fighting continues between the junta army and the revolutionary forces near Asia Road in Kawkayeik.
Residents said that the resistance groups helped to evacuate residents trapped in the town and drivers stuck on Asian Road.
The displaced people have sought refuge in Nabu, Kyondoe, Tharmanya and Hpa-an and they are in urgent need of assistance.
Both sides suffered casualties in a one-week-long battle during which the revolutionary forces captured a junta outpost while the junta conducted a series of airstrikes.
Furthermore, the Thai-Myanmar border trade route, the Asia Highway, remains closed, and only small passenger vehicles are permitted to pass through the Htoe Kaw Koe-Myawaddy mountain road in the northern part of Kawkayeik, while BGF doesn’t allow large vehicles to pass their gate.
The Kawkayeik battle killed or injured civilians, forcing thousands of people to flee their homes.
According to the 2014 census, Kawkayeik, which has a population of nearly 50,000 people, has been completely deserted as a result of the fighting and looks like an abandoned town with fewer residents.
News-Than Lwin Times
Photo-CJ