Burmese troops have overrun the jungle headquarters of the opposition militia behind the Thai hostage siege, a source close to the group said yesterday.
The source said the 12-year-old twins, Johnny and Luther Htoo, who lead the `God's Army' guerrillas from the base just inside the Burmese border are missing and Johnny Htoo is believed to have been killed.
The base at Kamaplaw was attacked late on Tuesday by troops who had been shelling the camp in recent days, according to the source, who is closely connected to the Vigorous Burmese Student Warriors. VBSW is a close ally of God's Army, the ethnic Karen group which seized a hospital in Thailand's Ratchaburi province and held 700 hostages until Thai special forces killed all 10 guerrillas in a raid on Tuesday. God's Army followers have pledged to fight to the death to install democracy in Burma.
"Many people including women and children" were killed at Kamaplaw, the VBSW source said.
The Karen National Union said fighting between God's Army and the Burmese army had cost hundreds of lives.
Rangoon rarely comments on action against insurgent groups along the border and said "no major offensives" were taking place. A government spokesman said "additional patrolling is being done to clear out any armed guerrillas from taking refuge in that area".
Thai army sources in Bangkok said they had no reports of large offensives over the border.
VBSW guerrillas were behind an earlier hostage drama at the Burmese embassy in Bangkok last year which ended peacefully when Thai authorities gave them a helicopter to escape to the border.
Three of 10 guerrillas killed in the rescue of the hostages from the Thai hospital took part in the takeover of the Burmese embassy in Bangkok last October, the Thai military said yesterday.
Burma's military government, blamed for massive human rights abuses which have driven tens of thousands into exile, many to Thailand, accused Thailand of being soft on terrorists after the embassy attack in Bangkok.
The government also came in for criticism from its opposition.
The Burmese government spokesman praised Thailand for its "decisive" handling of the hospital siege.
However, Burma's main opposition said while it condemned unconditionally a "terrorist act", it was "regrettable to learn the problem was sorted out with so much bloodshed".
In a statement, the National League for Democracy said it showed that the lack of peace within Burma, which was the responsibility of the military government, could affect peace and stability in the entire region.