Sangkhlaburi – The Karen National Union (KNU) attacked a Burma Army column, Infantry Battalion No. 24 yesterday morning.

The vehicle drivers who passed by the Burma Army troops reported that KNU guerrillas from battalion No. 16 attacked the Burmese troops on the Three Pagodas Pass – Anangwin motor road.  Two Burmese soldiers were killed and three were injured in the ambush between Aplon and Myaing Thayar villages.

Infantry Battalion No. 24, led by provisional battalion commander Major Kyaw Htin, was coming from the Three Pagodas Pass border after replacing the position with the Infantry Battalion No. 32.

Last week, the KNU Battalion No.16 ambushed a Burma Army Infantry column from Battalion No. 32 on the Three Pagodas Pass and Thanbyuzayat (Zobbu) motor road.  One Burma Army soldier was killed and another was seriously injured during the two skirmishes between Pa-Pya and Paya and between Pa-Pya and Kyon-Khun villages on the same day, March 28, 2009.

This area is active with KNU Battalion No.16 and other armed groups; Karen Peace Force (KPF), DKBA and the NMSP have also set up their checkpoints.

The KNU has changed its military tactics from a war of position to a war of movement with 3000 guerrillas who focus on ambush attacks in its defensive war against the Burma Army.

Prior to this new attack on April 6, three members of the KNU Central Executive Committee comprised of Vice-President Saw David Tharckabaw and Secretary General Naw Zipporah Sein met with the Thai Foreign Minister to hold peace talks with the Burmese junta.