A 30-minute clash between Myanmar junta forces and the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS)/Shan State Army-South (SSA-S) left six junta-aligned troops dead in Mongpeng Township, eastern Shan State, on August 22, according to an RCSS spokesperson.

The fighting broke out around noon near the Sinmaung and Tarkaw village tracts after a 60-strong column comprising troops from the junta’s Light Infantry Battalion 314, led by Capt. Than Naing Soe, and allied militia members entered RCSS-controlled territory without prior authorization.

“A column of junta troops and militia members entered our territory, so we fought for nearly half an hour,” RCSS spokesperson Maj. Sai Kham San told SHAN.

He said the junta column retreated after six of its members were killed and subsequently fired 60mm mortar rounds toward RCSS positions.

“Our troops have orders to open fire on anyone who trespasses without permission,” he said.

Maj. Sai Kham San said the presence of heavy weapons indicated that the junta column had been prepared for an engagement rather than conducting a routine patrol.

The clash highlights continuing military tensions in eastern Shan State despite ongoing political dialogue between the junta and ethnic armed organizations.

The RCSS is a member of the 7 EAO Alliance, a coalition of ethnic armed organizations engaged in talks with the junta’s National Solidarity and Peacemaking Negotiation Committee (NSPNC).

However, territorial incursions by junta forces continue to trigger localized clashes. In September 2024, RCSS forces reportedly repelled a 100-strong junta-militia assault in Mongpeng Township.