An offence by Myanmar pro-junta forces against ethnic minority Karen separatist rebels drove about 250 Karen civilians to flee into neighbouring Thailand, officials said Sunday. The pro-junta Democratic Karen Buddhist Army or DKBA launched attacks against the Karen National Union rebels on Saturday, said Police Lt Col Thawal Patanachareon, field commander of ThailandÂ’s border patrol police. Thawal said the DKBA fired several mortar shells into mobile Karen National Union camps.
“More than 50 mortar shells hit three KNU camps, where about 80 KNU fighters were based,” Thawal said. He said Thai authorities did not immediately know if there were casualties. The offensive prompted at least 250 Karen civilians, mostly women and children, to flee into Thailand early Sunday via the Moie river to seek refuge in Mae Ramat district, about 400 kilometres northwest of Bangkok, he said. |