CREDIT EMG
An army officer has been killed in PutaO district, Kachin State, according to a report by the Ministry of Defence on September 14.
The report said that a local battalion leaving Malutdan village, Machanbaw township, in PutaO district held two skirmishes on August 28 with about 20 troops from the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), leaving the officer and one serviceman missing.
The search for the missing soldiers was conducted in and around the scene of the skirmishes. According to field reports, the army learned that its missing officer had been shot in the arm with a small weapon and then captured by the KIA.
Continuing the search operation, the army was informed by two locals residing near Inkhanga village of a foul smell near their hillside cultivation. Following a more thorough search of the area using a map, soldiers were led to the northern slope of the hillside cultivation. After briefly digging in the area indicated by the map, soldiers turned up the corpse of the unnamed officer who had allegedly been arrested by the KIA. The report said that the officer had been beheaded.
In connection with the incident, Machanbaw Township Police Station has put out a warrant for the arrests of platoon commander Tan Khan of Brigade-7 of the KIA and about 20 KIA soldiers under his command.
In response to the announcement by the Ministry of Defence, enquiries were made at KIA headquarters in Laiza. A KIA officer who asked not to be named replied only that the army officer in question had died in action and was buried.
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