Civilian casualties, including children, occurred on July 4 due to ongoing clashes in Loikaw Township, Karenni (Kayah) State, locals reported.

A woman, who witnessed the ordeal, informed Kantarawaddy Times that an artillery shell struck Nambawwan Ward around 6:00 am.

"Victims hit by the shell included children around 10 years old, with one child losing an arm”, she said.

Kantarawaddy Times is currently investigating the casualties and identifying the victims.

Since the early morning of July 4, clashes in Loikaw's downtown area have intensified again. In the populated Nambawwan Ward, some residents have already evacuated due to the renewed fighting.

Locals who recently returned to Loikaw are once again displaced by war, as the sounds of small arms and artillery fire have been echoing constantly in recent days.

“Yesterday, when I was leaving town, I saw a man lying soaked in blood. I didn't know who he was. I couldn't help him, I just fled”, recounted a Loikaw resident who fled to southern Shan State for safety.

Urban clashes forced shop owners at Loikaw Thiri Mingalar Market to close their stalls and go home. The recently restored power and phone lines have been cut off again.

Locals reported that the clashes in Loikaw, which began on the morning of July 4, continued into the next day.