Myanmar gov't troops capture stronghold in Kokang

YANGON -- Heavy fighting continued in Myanmar's Kokang region in the northeastern Shan state with the government forces capturing one more stronghold of the Kokang ethnic army, the military-run Myawaddy said on Sunday.

The fighting continued on Saturday as peace talks between peace negotiators of the Myanmar government and the country's ethnic armed groups entered the fifth day in Yangon.

The government troops occupied Point-1564 hill, which is 1.5 km from the Myanmar-China border following the fighting with the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA).

In the battle, 11 more government soldiers died and 11 others wounded, the report said, adding that weapons and ammunition were seized from the Kokang ethnic army.

While the military columns were combing Laukkai area, clashes with the MNDAA occurred almost on a daily basis.

The Myanmar military also said following air strikes against the MNDAA positions over the past two weeks, it has captured a number of strategic hills.

Unconfirmed statistics show that the government forces have suffered 112 deaths and 287 soldiers have been wounded so far, while 104 bodies were seized from the MNDAA with 30 being arrested.

Meanwhile, peace negotiators of the Myanmar government and ethnic armed groups agreed to leave the conflict-hit Kokang as a separate issue to be discussed after the end of the ongoing peace talks between the Nationwide Ceasefire Coordination Team (NCCT) of 16 ethnic armed groups and the government's Union Peace-Making Work Committee (UPWC).