A woman was killed and his eight-month-old baby wounded in the clash between the military council army and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA)-Kokang in Manban village, Honarpanhone village-tract in Lashio Township in northern Shan State on 11 June, according to locals.
The heavy shell landed on the house and hit the child and his mother.
A Manban villager said: “Villagers did not dare to go outside as fighting started inside the village. Some people have to hide in the bunkers. Some people are hiding in the houses. Shrapnel hit the whole body of Daw Mar Ywun as she was hiding in the house. She hugged her baby.”
Shelling hit Daw Mar Ywun, 38 and her child. She died on the spot. Her child was sent to Lashio People’s Hospital, locals said.
Fighting between the military council troops and the MNDAA-Kokang took place from 1 pm to 4 pm.
A Manban villager who witnessed fighting said: “Military council soldiers arrived in the village at 9 am on that day. They came to every house and cooked rice. Kokang camp is located within a 2-hour walking distance from the village. In the afternoon, four members of the Kokang force came to the village to buy curry. Fighting broke out when the Kokang force encountered the junta soldiers,” the villager added.
The heavy shell landed on the house of Daw Mar Ywun. Although there are rumors that the ammunition was fired by the MNDAA-Kokang, there was no separate confirmation.
There are some unexploded ordnance shells in Manban village. Three houses in the village were hit by heavy shells and eight houses by small arms, locals said.
Now, almost all people from Manban village have fled for safety. Some villagers are taking shelter in their relatives’ houses. About 50 villagers are taking shelter at the Christian church on San Kaung road at No.2 ward in Lashio, according to the persons helping the IDPs.
On the morning of 5 June, the Three Brotherhood Alliance attacked two military camps at No.5 ward and No.12 ward in Lashio. On the morning of 22 May, six of eight rocket launchers fired by an ethnic armed force exploded and destroyed some houses in Shankone near AT bridge in Lashio, locals said.
Sent by NMG