There were 12 engagements between the Myanmar army and ethnic armed groups and seven among those ethnic armed groups from November 25 to December 23 this year, said Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun of Tatmadaw (Military) True News Information Team on December 30. 

“From November 25 to December 23, our Tatmadaw troops had three engagements with TNLA in the North-East Command area, two with MNDAA, two with combined TNLA, two with combined MNDAA and TNLA, one with combined TNLA and SSPP/SSA and one with combined MNDAA totalling 12. There were also seven engagements between combined TNLA and SSPP/SSA and RCSS/SSA in the same command area,” said Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun. 

When it comes to clashes over trespassing, he said one engagement happened in the Northern Command area, 26 engagements with TNLA in North-East Command area, nine with KIA, seven with RCSS/SSA, four with SSPP/SSA, one with MNDAA, 14 with RCSS/SSA in the Central East Command area and 13 with SSPP/SSA, he added.  

He said ethnic armed groups collected extortion money 13 times—eight by KIA in the Northern Command area, two by TNLA in the North-East Command area, two SSPP/SSA in the Central East Command area and one by RCSS/SSA. 

Regarding new recruitments, the brigadier general said there were four times by KIA in the Northern Command area, two by TNLA and one by KIA in the North-East Command area and two by RCSS/SSA in the Central East Command area totalling nine. 

During the period, the military seized 36.47 kilos of heroin, 138 kilos of raw opium, 11.5 million stimulant pills and 51 kilos of ICE and 5.35 kilos of other illicit drugs worth over Ks11.839 billion in 10 military command areas, Brig-Gen Zaw Min Tun explained.