Locals report that Myanmar army troops stationed in Namhpatkar village in Kutkai Township, northern Shan State, have been continuously firing artillery since 6 September, locals report.
Under the current circumstances, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) has asked villagers to flee to safer locations in anticipation of clashes.
A resident of Namhpatkar said he was concerned that fighting might intensify as the Myanmar army’s Brigade 123 is constantly shelling the village with artillery as the TNLA side advanced on the village.
“Today we can hear artillery shelling from Namhpatkar again. All villagers are afraid and stay in their houses. We also heard that the TNLA is moving in. The Myanmar army has secured the village and its surroundings. The situation is tense and very complicated. The army hasn’t told the villagers anything yet, but the TNLA has told us to flee to safer places, dig trenches and leave the village, if necessary,” said the villager.
As the TNLA told the villagers to flee, some of them have fled to nearby towns and villages to find shelter with their relatives and acquaintances, while most of the villagers, who are finding it difficult to flee, remain anxiously in the village, he added.
“They tell villagers to flee, but they can’t decide where to flee to. If they have relatives and friends in nearby towns and villages, they can go to them. But for those who don’t have such connections and those who are in difficulties, it is very difficult to flee. People here live from hand to mouth. They will get into trouble if they don’t flee, and if they do, they will face such difficulties,” explained the man from Namhpatkar village.
He further said that the people of Namhpatkar village will have to flee by all means if the military situation intensifies further.
In late August and early September, when the TNLA entered the Namhpatkar area, the military council troops also took over the security of the village and the surrounding area and were continuously shelling with artillery from the army camp in Namhpatkar, leading to continuous artillery strikes hitting inside the village, according to local residents.
Residents said that due to the constant artillery shelling from the Namhpatkar camp, artillery shells hit Mongyu village on the night of 5 September, damaging some houses and causing livestock casualties, but no human lives were lost.
In addition, the commander of Brigade 123 summoned some village administrators and threatened, “If TNLA troops enter the village, we will shell the villages where the Ta’ang live with artillery. If KIA troops enter, we will shell the Kachin villages,” said one local.
During fierce fighting between Myanmar army troops and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) around Namhpatkar village and between Namhsan and Muse from 27-31 August, the junta indiscriminately shelled villages with artillery and even attacked with aircraft, according to locals.
On those days, military council troops struck civilian homes in the village with artillery, resulting in at least ten civilian casualties and damage and destruction to numerous homes and livestock.
A resident of Namhpatkar said, “It has become very difficult. No one trusts the military not to hurt civilians anymore. They even fire without warning. When they warn, they fire even more. No matter how much is reported online and in the news, they don’t care about anyone. They don’t care about the media reports either. They just fire more.”
Located between Kutkai and Muse, Namhpatkar village is a large, diverse village of over 1,000 households where Kachin, Ta’ang, Shan, Chinese and other ethnic groups live together.
Sent by KNG.