Burma ceasefire 'holds' in rebel-held Kachin areas

A ceasefire announced by the Burmese military fighting rebels in northern Kachin state appears to be holding.

Rebels have told the BBC there was some sporadic shelling, and reports of fighting, in the hours after the truce, which has since died down.

But rebel soldiers on the frontline remain wary and nervous, the BBC's Jonathan Head reports from Kachin.

The military said on Friday it would end offensive attacks "except in self defence" from 06:00 on Saturday.

A spokesman for the rebels told the BBC Burmese service that there was shelling at Lajaryan, some six miles (10km) south of their stronghold Laiza, between 09:00 and 13:00 on Saturday but it has been quiet since.

Fighting has also been reported in the areas of Pha Kant and Moe Mate, he said without giving further details.

Burma's new military-backed civilian government - which has embarked on a series of reforms since elections in November 2010 - has pledged to resolve conflicts in border areas with ethnic minority groups.

But the escalation of fighting in Kachin in recent weeks has not only brought international condemnation, but also raised questions about the extent of civilian government control over the armed forces, who ruled Burma for decades.