Fierce clashes between the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the junta have driven thousands of residents from Thibaw (Hsipaw) and Kyaukme towns in northern Shan State to abandon their homes and seek refuge in Lashio and Mongyai, locals reported.

Fears of escalating violence mounted after the junta recaptured Nawngping Sub-township in Kyaukme Township, an area previously under TNLA control, prompting a wave of displacement, according to Nawngping residents.

Last week’s fighting in Nawngping forced around 6,700 residents from the villages of Pangtee, Nawngpyit, Panghkaw, Lonkain, Pintein, Nawngping, Lokein, Lokepar, Hkunnyu and Nawngpinglankhwe to flee for safety.

With clashes expected to intensify and spread, many residents from Thibaw and Kyaukme towns have also fled to Lashio, the largest city in northern Shan State, where local charities and Buddhist monasteries have begun providing emergency assistance.

Figures compiled by social relief groups in Lashio indicate that more than 400 displaced civilians are currently sheltering in monasteries and at the Shan Literature and Culture Centre in the city.

In Mongyai Township, monasteries have also been receiving war-displaced civilians since mid-August, with the number of arrivals continuing to rise, The Voice of Shan-Ni has learned.

Military sources with knowledge of the current situation in the region have reported that the junta is preparing operations to retake both Kyaukme and Thibaw, which are currently held by the TNLA. The junta’s ground assaults and air raids are also being carried out frequently across the area.