KNPP, PDF terrorist groups commit war crimes in Kayah State

Following a tip-off that the KNPP and PDF terrorists were taking positions at Government Technological University (GTU) and Buddha Park in Mong Lone Ward of Loikaw of Kayah State, security forces raided the places on 11 January.
The terrorists took positions in houses, governmental and religious buildings and used the human shields without letting locals move to safe places in the attacks. But the security forces tried their best with the least shots to their targets not to harm the innocent civilians who were applied as human shields.
In the clash, at noon of 11 January and yesterday morning, the KNPP and PDF terrorist groups launched attacks on Loikaw prison using heavy/small weapons from three places of the ward to hurt the prisoners and occur prison riot. Security forces conducted counterattacks not to harm the inmates within the rights to defend themselves against the attacks. The engagement stopped in the evening of 11 January and yesterday noon, and terrorists moved back to west and southeast of the location.
As soon as the terrorist groups and armed insurgents retreated, security forces counterattacked them using heavy weapons and air supporting fire.
Moreover, the KNPP and PDF terrorist groups refilled their numbers using the fields and routes of Hmone Pyar, Bardo and Phaya Phyu villages yesterday noon and so security forces launched air supporting fire and the terrorists retreated to the west and south.
In the attacks, some of the government buildings and dormitories of prison were damaged and no civilian was injured.
The KNPP and PDF terrorist groups took positions in religious buildings, educational buildings and houses that are not military targets, used locals as human shields without letting them move from the danger zone and intentionally attacked the countryside prisons with only hundreds of prisoners. Therefore, such doings violated war crimes according to the Geneva Convention and International Law, and the effective action will be taken against them for these war crimes under the Counter-Terrorism Law and other existing laws.—MNA