Fierce fighting between the Karen National Union (KNU) and Myanmar's coup forces is ongoing at the strategic Swaltaw Gone hill near the new town of Lay Kay Kaw in Karen State, Myanmar.
The conflict escalated on the night of September 3, when heavy fighting erupted around 10:00 p.m. at the Swaltaw Gone artillery hill in Myawaddy Township. The KNU-led revolutionary forces clashed intensely with the coup army, which retaliated by launching at least 25 heavy artillery shells from Latkhat Mountain. The KNU and allied forces had launched an assault on Swaltaw Gone earlier that morning.
"Swaltaw Gone is surrounded by columns from the Cobra, Black Leopard, Venom, and KNLA joint forces. The revolutionary forces are using drone strikes, while the coup army has been responding with 81mm and 120mm mortar fire, akin to sniper shots. As of now, revolutionary forces remain encircled," a source from the revolutionary side reported.
The Border Guard Force (BGF) has been providing reinforcements to the coup forces, as they attempt to reclaim positions held by the revolutionary forces. The joint BGF and coup army forces are trying to recapture key locations, specifically areas 355, 356, and 357, currently under the control of the Cobra coalition and other revolutionary groups. According to military sources, the fighting has resumed with intensity, resulting in the death of a revolutionary soldier.
The area of KNU Brigade 6 in Karen State, particularly Myawaddy town, remains under BGF control. The coup army, with BGF assistance, has redeployed forces to Myawaddy in an effort to regain territory from the revolutionary forces.
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