MAE HONG SON — 3 May 2026, The Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) has claimed it killed more than 60 Myanmar junta troops since April, as fighting intensifies near the Thai-Myanmar border, according to a statement by the Karen National Union (KNU).
The KNU said its forces had killed over 60 government soldiers since early April. In the past week alone, it reported 26 killed and 35 wounded, with several troops captured during clashes in Hpapun township in Karen state, opposite Mae Sariang district in Thailand’s Mae Hong Son province.
The statement added that between 15 and 22 March, there were nine clashes between junta forces and the KNLA’s Brigade 5.
Residents in Mae Sam Laep village in Sop Moei district said they heard explosions and gunfire from across the border in Myanmar late on 3 May, suggesting fresh clashes. The fighting is believed to involve KNLA forces and Myanmar troops, who may have been deployed as reinforcements but were ambushed, according to local reports.
