Around 500 residents have fled from the fighting between the Tatmadaw and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) in Kutkai Township in the northern Shan State, according to local residents.
Local residents fled to Mong Yu 105 Mile after the Tatmadaw aircraft bombed Ngawt Ngar Village, according to a displaced resident from Ngawt Ngar Village.
“Fighting broke out since two days ago. At first, they were fighting outside the village. Then, the aircrafts dropped the bombs. There were many soldiers. All the villagers had to flee. Ngawt Ngar School has been closed. Nobody dares to go back. Some fled to Mong Yu. Some fled to Nam Hpat Kar. Both [villages] are under Kutkai Township,” he said.
Residents of Ngawt Ngar, Man Kan, Hpar Hpein, Ban Hteik, and Nah Wee villages have taken shelter in Mong Yu Lay and Nam Hpat Kar villages since February 5.
“There are people who came to live at the internally displaced person (IDP) camps in Mong Yu. There are also those staying at their relatives’ homes in Mong Yu. Now, those that fled outside the village haven’t been allowed to enter the village. The people who remained behind in the village are not allowed to go outside the village. [Fighting] is breaking out between Ngawt Ngar and Mong Yu. There are still villages between Ngawt Ngar and Mong Yu. These villages are Man Kan, Nah Wee, Ban Hteik, and Kawng Mu villages. It’s difficult to estimate the number of people. But, there are around 500 people from all the villages. Also, some of them have fled inside the forests. We still couldn’t contact the people from Kawng Mu Village,” a local resident of Mong Yu said on condition of anonymity.
The Palaung State Liberation Front/Ta’ang National Liberation Army (PSLF/TNLA)’s information department announced that a clash broke out between the TNLA’s 571st battalion and the Tatmadaw 11st Light Infantry Division (LID-11) in the area between Hpar Hpein and Ngawt Ngar villages in Kutkai Township from 7:15 am to 10:30 am on February 5.
According to the PSLF/TNLA, two helicopters from the Tatmadaw fired at them for nearly half an hour.
“There are over 100 households in Ngawt Ngar. All of them are Ta’ang people. The entire village has fled. The population is over 200. The clash broke out between the Ta’ang (TNLA) and the Tatmadaw. The soldiers don’t allow the villagers to come inside the village. Everyone has to flee. [The residents of] Ngawt Ngar and Ban Hteik villages didn’t flee at first. Everyone only fled after heavy weapons were fired from Nam Hpat Kar. We could see the firing [of the heavy weapons] as it was quite close,” a displaced person from Ngawt Ngar Village said regarding the latest situation of the displaced residents.
The PSLF/TNLA announced that a clash broke out near Tar Khai Chaung in Kutkai Township on February 7 and another clash also broke out in Nar Pain Village in Namtu Township.
Hseni residents told the NMG on February 6 that around 160 Kachin, Shan, and Ta’ang people from Dah Khai Village of Kyein Mun Village Group under Hseni Township, northern Shan State, are in need of emergency assistance in Kawng Ai Village after they fled from the fighting between the Tatmadaw and the TNLA.
