AFP reported that gunmen from the ethnic Karen National Union (KNU) armed force clashed with the Myanmar army in the early morning of December 1 in Kawkareik town in Karen state, eastern Myanmar.
Trucks on the Asian Highway near the town of Kawkareik
Kawkareik town lies on the Asian Highway, connecting Myawaddy city, a commercial center on the Thai border, with Myanmar's largest city, Yangon.
A video , believed to be from Kawkareik, posted on social media showed dozens of trucks lined up on the road, with black smoke rising from behind and some people taking shelter in underground shelters.
An unnamed resident in Kyondoe town, about 20 km west of Kawkareik along the highway, said he heard artillery fire from nearby military bases since the evening of November 30.
"I also saw the fighter jets. Residents from my town are fleeing. There are very few men left to guard their homes but after seeing the fighter jets, we are also preparing to leave," he said.
The Myanmar government did not immediately comment. The Asian Highway between Yangon and Myawaddy has been blocked frequently over the past decade due to fighting between the military and the KNU. Myanmar has numerous ethnic armed groups, many of which control border areas and frequently clash with the military.
According to Myanmar's Ministry of Commerce, Myawaddy was the second busiest of Myanmar's six official border crossings with Thailand during the period April-November 2023, handling nearly $1 billion in import and export goods.
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