NAYPYITAW, 24 November 2021, (TON): Six regime soldiers were killed and three others, including a police chief, were injured in Tanintharyi Region’s Launglon Township after fighting broke out following an attack by local resistance forces.

The leader of the Launglon People’s Defence Force (PDF) said “the group also lost one of its members in the clash, which took place near Gawtinn, a village about 26km from Dawei.”

The group’s leader told media “the exchange of fire began after the Launglon PDF used handmade RPGs and small arms to launch an attack on a military vehicle carrying 10 soldiers and police.”

He added that Nyein Chan Aung, a 23-year-old engineer from Dawei, was killed instantly after soldiers returned fire with automatic weapons.

The leader of the resistance group said “one of the shots fired by the soldiers hit him in the forehead. They had a lot of weapons. We decided to retreat when they started firing automatic weapons.”

He added “it was the first time the Launglon PDF had lost a member.”

In July, the Launglon PDF seized an M16 rifle and a pistol following a clash with military-backed Pyu Saw Htee members in Pyinhtein, another village in Launglon.