Heavy Motors Attack on Karen

[FreeBurma@xxxxxxx]

Attn: Burma Newsreaders
Re: SLORC's motors attack on Karen
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Burmese bring in more mortars for attack on Karen   

    MAE SOT, Thailand, Feb 13 (Reuter) - Burmese forces besieging a Karen
guerrilla base on the Thai-Burmese border have brought in a large supply of
heavy weapons to press home their attack on the camp, guerrillas and Burmese
civilians said on Monday. 

    A large convoy of military trucks arrived in the Burmese border town of
Myawadi on Sunday evening carrying an estimated 40 mortars to back up an
already formidable battery deployed against the Karen base of Kawmoora, the
sources said. 

    The heavy weapons included 81mm, 120mm and 130mm mortars, the sources
said, adding that about 1,200 fresh troops were also brought in on Sunday. 

    Burmese troops have been attacking the well-fortified base, 15 km (10
miles) to the north of Myawaddi, since mid-December but have yet to break
through its defences. 

    Kawmoora is located in a horseshoe shaped loop of the Moei river which
forms the border with Thailand. 

    The river, and Thai territory, curls around the north, east and south of
the base and only a narrow neck of land several hundred metres (yards) wide
links it to Burma. 

    Last Wednesday Burmese troops launched their biggest attack on the camp
in years, with a massive artillery barrage and repeated frontal assaults. 

    More than 50 Burmese soldiers were killed and another 50 wounded in the
offensive, while seven guerrillas were killed and several others wounded,
Thai army officers said. 

    Kawmoora is the last major Karen rebel base on the border after the loss
on January 27 of their headquarters at Manerplaw, 120 km (75 miles) to the
north. 

    Karen guerrillas have been fighting Rangoon for greater autonomy since
1949, one year after Burma gained independence from Britain. 

 REUTER


Transmitted: 95-02-13 05:05:05 EST
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