Thousands flee air strikes, shelling as fighting erupts in Myanmar

(Reuters) - Myanmar's military deployed ground troops and launched air and artillery strikes against rebel forces in the country's east, witnesses, local media and an aid group said on Thursday, prompting thousands of people to flee.

Bombardments were carried out for a second day in Nan Mei Khon village in Kayah, a state bordering Thailand where soldiers have met months of resistance from the Karenni National Defence Force (KNDF), one of several militia groups that is challenging the junta's rule.