News Brief
Myanmar: Ethnic Armed Group Claims Responsibility For Downing Military Helicopter In Kachin State
Kachin Independence Army rebels at their headquarters at Laiza.
In a recent development, an ethnic minority armed group engaged in conflict with Myanmar's Military Government announced that they successfully shot down a helicopter believed to be on a resupply mission.
As per reports by The Hindu, the incident occurred in the combat zone of the northern state of Kachin on 3 January.
According to Col. Naw Bu, a spokesperson for the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the helicopter was shot down shortly after taking off from an army outpost en route to its base in Myitkyina township, the state's capital.
The KIA, aligned with pro-democracy resistance forces, has been combating the military government that assumed power in February 2021.
Reports suggest conflicting details regarding casualties, with some sources indicating six soldiers killed and one survivor, while others report seven fatalities.
Independent news outlet Khit Thit Media, supportive of the resistance, shared images of bodies in military uniforms and charred corpses allegedly from the crash site.
However, the military government, which controls airspace, has not issued an immediate response to the helicopter incident.
Meanwhile, videos circulating on social media show an object on fire and emitting black smoke making an uncontrolled descent into hilly terrain.
The cause of the crash, whether due to enemy fire or mechanical failure, remains unconfirmed.
It's noteworthy that this is not the first time the Kachin Independence Army has claimed responsibility for downing a military helicopter.
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