(MENAFN- The Journal Of Turkish Weekly) Four rebel soldiers in Myanmar's troubled Kachin state were killed during clashes with government troops over the weekend, local media reported Monday.
An unnamed source from the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) told local media the rebels, including one officer, died in a morning raid by the Myanmar army, during which artillery shells rained down on rebel positions in La Ait Bum.
Last week, the Kachinland News website reported that two Myanmar army fighter jets had bombed KIA posts in the area.
Tens of thousands of civilians in the northern mountainous state have been displaced since fighting began in 2011, following the breakdown of a long-running cease-fire agreement.
Myanmar's government has been battling various rebel groups for decades.
The reformist, semi-civilian government of President Thein Sein is hoping to sign a cease-fire deal with many of the groups, including the KIA, ahead of an election later this year.
Although the accord has been billed as nationwide, some groups still fighting the government have been excluded from the talks, leading to threats from other rebel leaders that they will refuse to sign.
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