The Three Brotherhood Alliance has urged residents of Nawngping village in Kyaukme Township, Shan State, to move to safety by 11 am on 13 November, according to local residents.
Troops of the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) – a member of the Three Brothers Alliance – and the Mandalay – People’s Defense Force were reportedly stationed at Nawngping intersection, which is located between Kyaukme and Naungcho.
As there could be heavy fighting in Nawngping village, the TNLA and the Mandalay PDF asked villagers to evacuate the village and not stay within three miles of the village, a Nawngping local said at 11 am on 13 November.
“The elderly people of the village have already fled. Some have stayed to guard their homes. The military council flew over the village with a helicopter at around 10:30 this morning,” said the man from Nawngping village.
In addition, the military council’s fighter jets bombed Nawngping village twice at noon and 10pm on 12 November, according to Kyaukme residents.
A Kyaukme resident said, “They reopened the roadblocks in Ohnmathee and Yaemawngtan villages on Naungcho road. After the combined forces of the TNLA and PDF withdrew from that side, the junta is now attacking the Nawngping area. The Myanmar Army fired artillery shells at Nawngping from Naugncho and Kyaukme instead of sending ground troops as before. Yesterday, they bombarded the area twice with two fighter jets – once around noon and again around 10 pm.”
When the military dropped bombs near Gotetwin at noon on 12 November, they exploded near Nawngpyit village in Kyaukme Township without causing any damage, according to locals.
When two junta fighter jets dropped bombs near Nawngping village at around 10.30pm on 12 November, they exploded in a field near Thetkei monastery in Pintein village, shattering the windows of nearby houses, according to Nawngping residents.
“We don’t know where their fighter jets are aiming and shooting. When fighter jets come, two come together. The one they fired last night exploded on the farm near the Thetkei monastery. The explosion was so powerful that the window panes of the nearby houses shattered and the doors flung open. But no one was injured,” said a resident of Nawngping in Kyaukme Township.
According to Nawngping residents, the airstrikes by the military council have forced more than 1,000 people from Nawngpyit, Hkelong, Longkyein, Zeepinsakhan and Pintein villages in Nawngping rural administrative area to seek refuge in nearby monasteries.
In addition, on 12 November, a house was damaged when the Myanmar Army fired artillery indiscriminately in Hepu village in Kyaukme Township.
More than 40 military vehicles and four armored vehicles from Pwin Oo Lwin marched along the Gotetwin road section towards Thibaw and Lashio to launch an offensive, causing residents to worry about possible fierce fighting on 13 November.
Therefore, to cut off the military council’s supply route, the TNLA blew up the Kyinthi Bridge connecting Hsipaw and Kyaukm on 12 November, reportedly preventing vehicles from crossing it.
Sent by Shan Herald.
