Thai police said the violence was sparked by ethnic Karen groups launching attacks against Myanmar's military.
Fighting broke out between Myanmar's military and armed ethnic groups near an important trading hub near the Thai border, according to Thai government and media reports.
Witnesses on the Thai and Myanmar sides of the border also reported hearing explosions and heavy machine gun fire near the strategic bridge starting late Friday, which continued into early Saturday.
Fighters from the ethnic armed group Karen National Union (KNU), which has led the attack on Myawaddy, last week attacked Myanmar's last outposts in and around the border town, which is connected to Thailand by two bridges across the Moei River. captured the base. river.
According to Pittayakorn Phetcharat, the police chief in Thailand's Mae Sot district, the latest clash occurred on Saturday morning when a group of Karen ethnic groups attacked the Myanmar military, which was hiding near the Second Thai-Myanmar Friendship Bridge, a key crossing point for trade with Thailand. It started with the launch of the attack.
He estimated that about 1,300 people had fled to Thailand.
Pittayakorn said local authorities were searching for people who crossed seeking weapons.
“We fed them and moved them to a safer place,” he added.
Thai broadcaster NBT said in a post on He said 20 bombs were dropped from a drone.
On Saturday morning, Thai military forces stationed at the border said clashes continued with troops targeting soldiers under a bridge.
The Rajamunu Task Force posted on Facebook: “Currently engaged in fighting but no known losses.”
Thai Prime Minister Sureta Thabisinh said she was closely monitoring the situation and that Thailand was ready to provide humanitarian assistance if needed.
“We do not want such clashes to affect Thailand's territorial integrity. We are ready to protect our borders and the security of our people,” he told the X program.
Myanmar's military, which seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, is facing a major setback after losing the trading city of Myawaddy.
Since October of last year, the military has suffered a series of unprecedented defeats, forcing border crossings into conflict with bi-ethnic fighters who have been fighting for more autonomy for decades, and pro-democracy forces who took up arms after the war. lost vast territory, including military takeover.
Myawaddy is particularly important to the military, with more than $1.1 billion in trade passing through the town in the 12 months to April.
