Myanmar Mortars Hit Thai Border, Injuring Four

TAK, Dec 1 (TNA) - Intense fighting in Myanmar spilled across the border into Thailand overnight and into Monday, injuring four people and damaging homes, according to Thai authorities.

Multiple heavy weapons rounds, including 60-millimeter mortars, struck Mae Kon Kaen village in Thailand’s Mae Sot district, Tak province, less than one kilometer from the Thai border with Myanmar’s Myawaddy.

The cross-border shelling injured four Myanmar workers, including one child, who were taken to Mae Sot Hospital. All are now in safe conditions. At least six homes were reported damaged in the village.

The skirmishes, which involved Myanmar military forces and an anti-junta resistance group, were the most intense in the area in a week, with heavy explosions visible from the Thai side.

The Thai military responded by firing four warning shots—using illumination or smoke rounds—to signal to the combatants to cease fire and respect Thai sovereignty. 

Maj. Gen. Maitri Chooprecha, commander of the Naresuan Force, confirmed the warnings were issued, but noted that the fighting showed no signs of abating.

For safety, Mae Kon Kaen School was closed indefinitely, and natural border crossings in Tak province were temporarily shut down. Thai military and security forces remain on high alert along the frontier. - 819 (TNA)