News release on the capture of terrorists near Mohso Village, Pruso Township, Kayah State
Nay Pyi Taw January 11
When a passenger plane from Myanmar National Airways touched down at the airport in Loikaw, Kayah State, on 24 December 2021 morning, a combined group, comprising KNPP members and PDF terrorists, shot with 107 mm rockets and fled after dashing into the wards by cars and using residential people as cover.
Soon after the incident occurred, security forces blocked and checked all the possible escape routes to capture the assailants. Security forces discharging duties near Mohso Village, Pruso Township, found a row of seven cars travelling from Koi old Village to Mohso Village. When security members tried to stop the cars for investigation, the assailants fired small fired at them and drove away. During the chase, security forces fired back at terrorists who fired heavy and small weapons at them from the hills located near Mohso village. During the shootout, security forced captured some KNPP members, PDF terrorists and recruits who were going to attend terrorism course dead. Seven cars that were carrying fuel, diesel and food extorted from villagers caught fire. News about the incident has already been released. But, organizations and the media that advocate terrorism and some individuals were spreading fabricated news about the incident on social network pages to cause misunderstanding between Tatmadaw and local border guards. Hence, the commander of Eastern Command, the director of Directorate of People’s Militia and Border Guard Force and party looked into the matter together with officials of local border guard force.
According to the inquiry, security forces that were conducting a check near Mohso Village tried to stop the seven suspicious cars rolling along the illegally built Demoso-Koi old village Dawtkayahkhu-Mohso earth road; a shootout occurred, when the assailants fired small arms without stopping their cars and terrorists taking positions in advance on the hills near Mohso Village attacked with heavy and light weapons; during the shootout, the leading car that was carrying fuel caught in the crossfire and turned into a fireball when hit by small arm fire and bomb shells; fire quickly spread to the remaining vehicles; although security forces did their best to rescue the persons inside the burning cars amidst the whizzing bullets they were not successful because of the size of fire and enemy fire; security members asked help from the nearest fire brigades, but firemen could not come to the scene as their fire engines were destroyed by terrorists and their manpower dropped because of CDM.
The public road from Demoso to Mohso Village is via Demoso-Pruso tar road. The incident reached the current condition as the terrorists covertly drove along the illegal Demoso-Koi old village-Dawtkayahkhu-Mohso earth road.
It was found that while members of security forces and terrorists were enganging in a clash, residents from Mohso Village asked for help from the Border Guard Post and four members of the Border Guard Post went to the place of clash in plain clothes with small arms without reporting to responsible officials, that sounds of small arms were heard after the group left the post and the clash had already begun before the group left the post and that they, therefore, were likely to encounter with terrorists called the KNPP and the PDF and were killed by them before being tied their hands in their back to fabricate that they were tortured to death by security forces.
It was also found that some organizations and the media and some individuals supporting violence repeatedly created doubts between the Tatmadaw and Border Guard Force on social media pages without understanding the truth. On the ground, security forces even tried to put out the fire in a timely manner but were unable to do so due to shootings of the terrorists called KNPP and the PDF on hearby hills, leading to the deaths of the KNPP and PDF terrorists and passengers on the vehicles.
It was also published in stateowned newspaper and on state own television channels that a fire incident involving the loss of a vehicle due to the explosion of gasoline and diesel took place in Tamwe Township in Yangon Region on 18 June 2021 when a home-made bomb of terrorists hit the fuel tank of the patrol car of security forces and the the car caught fire, killing and injuring member of security forces on the car.
Looking into the two incidents, it can be seen that vehicles can be damaged if they are attacked with heavy weapons, small arms and home-made bombs while carrying combustible fuels and foodstuffs and that terrorists and individuals supporting them are fabricating news and posting incitements by taking advantages of such indicents to accuse that the Tatmadaw, security forces and border guard force are killing civilians. Moreover, some organizations, the media and individuals are publishing news based on their own perspectives without understanding the truth. It was revealed that terrorists called the KNPP and the PDF killed members of border guard forces and tied their hands in their back before setting them on fire after their vehicles were damaged by fire during the incident that took place near Mohso Village to intentionally and purposefully create doubts.
Members of security forces strictly followed the rules of engagement by giving priority to prevent collateral damage in accordance with international conventions and the public is urged to distinguish between right and wrong by analyzing fabricated and one-sided reports.