Armed Myanmar intruders killed by Thai army

Armed Myanmar intruders killed by Thai army

MAE SOT, Thailand (AP): Four unidentified, armed intruders from Myanmar were killed on Saturday in a gun battle with Thai soldiers near the border between the two nations, Thai army officers have said.

Fighting broke out after the soldiers came across about 10 armed intruders in a corn plantation just over the Thai side in Tak province, 370 kilometers northwest of Bangkok.

The men were ordered to stop, but instead opened fire with a grenade launcher, setting off a 15-minute exchange of fire. Two Thai soldiers were wounded, and the other intruders fled back to Myanmar, leaving their dead behind.

A Thai soldier who asked not to be identified said the dead men were ethnic Karen, though he did not say to what group they belonged.

There are two main ethnic Karen guerrilla groups in the area: The Karen National Union, which fights against Myanmar's military regime, and the Democratic Karen Buddhist Army, which is loosely allied with the Myanmar government.