An artillery shell explosion in Hkatshu village, Waingmaw township, Kachin State, on June 10 at around 8:00 PM, resulted in 1 civilian death and 6 injuries, locals said.

Ko Thar Nge (26) was seriously injured by the shelling and rushed to Waingmaw Hospital but died upon arrival.

“At around 8:00 PM, an artillery shell struck, injuring a total of seven people. Four of them were immediately taken to the hospital in auto rickshaws, and one died upon arrival”, a villager said. The other injured were Ko Arkar (28), Ma Nan Po (26), Ko Aung Kyaw Myint (27), Daw Nyunt Khaing (50), Ah Shan Kaw (50), and another unidentified civilian. Three of those seriously injured are still receiving treatment at Waingmaw Hospital.

Starting around 5:00 am on June 10, skirmishes erupted between joint forces led by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and Junta troops in Waingmaw, with the joint forces attacking the Junta column advancing from Nawngsipaw and Hkatshu villages.

Since May 18, KIA-led  forces have intensified operations to seize Junta military fortifications in and around Waingmaw, successfully securing control of the Shwe Nyaungbin 321st Light Infantry Battalion base at the exit point of the town.

A Hkatshu villager reported that artillery shelling resounded intermittently throughout the day alongside the clashes.

Following the loss of such crucial bases, the Junta is reinforcing its defenses to prevent the potential loss of the entire town of Waingmaw. The regime’s troops are also launching frequent artillery fire from Myitkyina, located on the opposite side of Waingmaw and separated by the Ayeyarwady River.

On June 8, three artillery shells fired by an unidentified group struck the Hkatshu village monastery and residences, causing damage to house roofs and a car. As a result of the ongoing military conflicts in the area, the count of civilian injuries has surged to approximately 30.