Four people were killed and a further 14 injured in junta airstrikes on two densely populated wards in Kyaukme Town in northern Shan State, on 24 June 2025.
On 24 June at around 5:00 pm, junta aircraft bombed Wards 3 and 7 in Kyaukme Town killing two women in their 50s, a 25-year-old man, and a displaced man.
All the casualties were caused by the bomb dropped on Ward 7 which hit near to the popular Sanpya Diner. Another bomb landed near the Hlaing Hospital in Ward 3, but that caused no deaths or injuries, according to a Kyaukme Town resident.
He said: “Yesterday evening, aircraft dropped bombs on two locations. One of them landed near a diner, killing three members of the owner's family and a displaced person who had come to seek refuge from Naungcho Town [in northern Shan State]. The area was crowded, so 14 others were also injured. The other bomb, which fell in Ward 3, didn’t cause any casualties.”
The Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) has controlled Kyaukme Town since 6 August 2024. But, the junta’s bombing of populated areas of the town are causing growing concern amongst residents, according to a young resident of Kyaukme Town.
He said to Shan Herald: “There were quite a lot of patients at Hlaing Hospital in Ward 3. It is believed the junta targeted the hospital during the bombing, but luckily it wasn’t damaged. It seems likely the junta is deliberately aiming at crowded areas. Most people are staying in town only because they have no other choice. Things still aren’t peaceful, and everyone is worried that more bombs might be dropped.”
Intense fighting in Naungcho Township, which is the township to the east of Kyaukme Township and also in Kyaukme District, has caused about 700 residents of Naungcho Township to flee and seek shelter in Kyaukme Township.
In May, the TNLA and the junta held ceasefire talks in Kunming City, China, brokered by the Chinese government, but the negotiations stalled. Since then, the junta has carried out airstrikes on TNLA-controlled towns including Kyaukme, Mantong, and Mongngawt in northern Shan State, as well as Mogok in Mandalay Region, resulting in civilian casualties.
