A prominent Shan youth leader and his friend were hijacked at gunpoint to drive soldiers from the Burma Army (BA) were killed when their vehicle was ambushed by the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) in Muse Township, in northern Shan State.

According to the Tai Youths Network (TYN), their executive member, who’s also part of the Committee of Shan State Unity (CSSU), and his friend were abducted by the regime’s forces en route to the town of Muse.

The TNLA ambushed them near Maw Tawng, killing the two Shan youths and the BA soldiers in their car, a TYN member told Shan, preferring for his name to remain unpublished. He heard that 12 soldiers were killed during the 30 minute raid.

“TNLA attacked the BA with machine guns and launchers,” a friend of the deceased told SHAN, also asking to remain anonymous. Following the clash, a social volunteer team from milepost 105 and others arrived to collect the youths’ bodies to send to the Muse Public Hospital for an autopsy.

According to reports from locals, the TNLA troops waited to attack the BA on a hilltop outside the village on Wednesday at 5pm.

SHAN spoke with an anonymous source at the youth’s funeral in Muse on Thursday. He said after they’re cremated, their ashes will be sent to the town of Kyaukme, where both of them are from and where they travelled from prior to the army kidnapping them.

The CSSU includes Shan State Progress Party, Restoration Council of Shan State, Shan Nationalities League for Democracy and Shan Nationalities Democratic Party.