Kachin fighters bring down junta helicopters near Bhamo

Members of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) claim to have damaged two military helicopters flying near Bhamo, Kachin State with anti-aircraft fire on Tuesday, causing one to crash and forcing the other to make an emergency landing. 

At around 1pm, three junta helicopters descended over the city of Bhamo, a site of ongoing, intense battles, and came under fire by a combined force of KIA and Kachin People’s Defence Force (Kachin PDF) resistance fighters. 

Two of the helicopters were hit, causing one to crash in the woods between Bhamo and Shwegu, Kachin State. The other was forced to land a short time after being hit, according to KIA spokesperson Colonel Naw Bu.