Intense fighting on Thai-Myanmar forces Thai schools to close amid security fears

Intense fighting on the Thai-Myanmar border forced schools to close amid security fears.

Clashes erupted at the conflict-torn frontier near Thailand's Tak province as the Burmese army reportedly opened fire on a village occupied by resistance forces on June 22.

Myanmar's 22nd Light Infantry Division allegedly bombarded the base and reinforced its frontline in Myawaddy, Karen State.

Numerous units launched artillery while resistance fighters responded with mortar and machine-gun fire.

Footage shows explosions and gunfire between both sides echoing across the border.

Classes at the Ban Mae Kon Ken School nearby were suspended as a precautionary measure.

Villagers also rushed to underground bunkers to shelter from the explosions and gunfire that echoed throughout the day.

The conflict is expected to intensify further as additional troops and heavy weaponry were deployed to the area, as the Burmese army tries to claim the contested territory.

Thai soldiers, local authorities, border police and defence volunteers were deployed to secure vulnerable areas and and all natural border crossings. They also established 24-hour checkpoints.

If any explosive ordnance lands inside Thai territory, authorities said heavy weapons were prepared to respond immediately.

Myanmar has fallen into civil war following the removal of democratically elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, with a military coup in 2021.

Soldiers responded with barbaric force on protesting civilians, leading to widespread condemnation and financial sanctions. Rebel groups and civilian militias around the country have since been locked in a series of ongoing clashes with the ruling military.

Aung San Suu Kyi has since been jailed for 33 years on politically motivated charges and is likely to die behind bars unless the army is toppled - a tragic end the politician hailed by Barack Obama as an 'inspirational icon of democracy'.