TAK – The Royal Thai Air Force scrambled two F-16 fighter jets over Mae Sot district on Sunday evening to secure sovereign airspace. The air patrol followed heavy armed clashes across the Myanmar frontier that sent artillery noise booming into nearby Thai border villages.
Violent ground battles erupted between Myanmar government troops and ethnic Karen resistance forces in the Nilaphan area opposite Tak province. Stray mortar shells and machine gun fire crossed the Moei River, damaging civilian homes and injuring a resident.
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Following the escalation, the Naresuan Force deployed civil affairs units to coordinate safety measures with local authorities in Mae Sot. Officials from the Royal Thai Armed Forces partnered with Border Patrol Police and subdistrict administrators to review regional emergency plans. Together, they inspected concrete bomb shelters in Ban Mahawan and Ban Mae Kon Ken to protect local residents.
Local schools and healthcare centers also mapped out secondary evacuation sites in case active mortar barrages spread further inward. Community leaders emphasized that round-the-clock monitoring remains essential to reassure families living near the volatile international boundary.
Myanmar Issues Directives Against Karen Rebel Trade
In addition to kinetic fighting, serious diplomatic frictions emerged over border commerce. The Myanmar Township Border Committee (TBC) sent an official dispatch protesting economic moves by the Karen National Union (KNU). The ethnic group recently established autonomous trade and security offices directly along the Salween River.
Senior commanders from the Karen National Liberation Army had publicly invited Thai entrepreneurs to conduct cross-border commerce in timber and mineral resources. However, Myanmar authorities stated that these border gates operate outside national legal frameworks and violate customs protocols.
Myanmar military commanders also announced plans to launch heavy airstrikes and artillery strikes against insurgent supply lines in coming weeks. Consequently, they urged Thai officials to halt private commercial partnerships with armed resistance groups to maintain bilateral relations.
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