The military council bombed a crowded area in Kyaukme town, Shan State, killing four civilians and injuring 14 others, according to local residents.
At around 5 p.m. on 24 June, the military council conducted two airstrikes — one hitting the San Pya food shop in Kyaukme town and the other near Hlaing Hospital in Ward 3 — according to a local resident.
“A military aircraft dropped bombs twice yesterday evening. One of the bombs struck a food shop in front of the Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) office. Three members of the shop owner’s family and one displaced person from Nawnghkio were killed. A total of 14 people were injured. That area is usually crowded with people. There were no casualties in the bombing in Ward 3,” said the local man from Kyaukme.
He added that two women in their 50s, a man in his 20s, and a displaced person from Nawnghkio Township were killed in the military council’s airstrikes.
A young resident of Kyaukme said that locals are living in fear as the military council continues to carry out airstrikes targeting crowded public areas in Kyaukme town, which is controlled by the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA).
“In Ward 3, Hlaing Hospital is located—that’s where patients receive treatment. It appears they intended to target the hospital, but fortunately, the bomb landed between houses and caused no casualties. However, it’s clear they are aiming at crowded areas. Some people remain in town because they have no other options. Since the clashes began, there has been no real peace. Now, everyone lives in fear that more bombings will follow,” said the young resident.
Due to ongoing clashes between the military council and the TNLA in Nawnghkio Township, some local residents have fled and taken refuge in Kyaukme Township. It is reported that approximately 700 internally displaced persons (IDPs) from Nawnghkio are currently sheltering in Kyaukme.
Since the collapse of peace talks between the TNLA and the military council in early May in Kunming, China, the military has launched a series of airstrikes targeting TNLA-controlled areas such as Kyaukme, Mantong, Mogok, and Mongngaw, causing civilian casualties.
Sent by Shan News