Mizzima

The Karen National Union said they had been targeted in air strikes late Saturday, hours after the ethnic armed group seized a military base.

Hsa Moo, an ethnic Karen and human rights activist, said three people were killed and at least eight injured.

It was the first air assault in 20 years in the state and targeted the Fifth Brigade of the Karen National Union (KNU) -- one of the country's largest armed groups -- which says it represents the ethnic Karen people.

Further air strikes on Sunday sent 2,000 people from two villages in Karen state darting through the jungle across the border into Thailand seeking safety, Hsa Moo told AFP.

Additional reporting AFP