Thousands were fleeing a Myanmar town bordering China on Tuesday after at least 30 people were killed in fighting between the army and ethnic rebels as Beijing called for an immediate ceasefire between the two sides.
The violence is some of the most intense to rattle the Chinese-speaking Kokang region since clashes in 2015 left scores dead and forced tens of thousands to flee into China.
The area is in northeastern Shan state, which has seen repeated bouts of heavy fighting between the army and a band of well-armed ethnic minority militias since November, undercutting a government peace bid.
The fighting has also raised fears of a repeat of 2015, when the displaced flooded across the border into China, raising tensions with Beijing.
In a statement released Tuesday, the army said it used heavy artillery to repel rebels who swept into Laukkai, the capital of the Kokang region, before dawn on Monday.
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