Mogok Town, located in Mandalay Region near the Shan State border and under Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) control, was struck by a junta airstrike that destroyed five houses.
At around 7:00 a.m. on September 16, junta aircraft dropped two 250-pound bombs near Lin Yaung Chi Monastery in the Ohnkine Ywarthit area of Shwegu Ward, east of Mogok Town, wounding a local woman and destroying houses.
“This morning, two 250-pound bombs were dropped in Ohnkine Ywarthit, damaging several houses. It’s the third airstrike in the area, with the previous two having already caused casualties,” a Mogok resident told Shan Herald.
On August 14, a junta bombing near Lin Yaung Chi Monastery killed 20 civilians, including a pregnant woman and children, according to the Ta'ang Women’s Organization (TWO).
Since junta leader Min Aung Hlaing’s return from China in early September, airstrikes have intensified on TNLA-controlled towns of Mogok, Kyaukme, and Thibaw (Hsipaw) in northern Shan State and Mandalay Region.
On September 14, the junta-appointed Union Election Commission (UEC) announced the list of towns where voting would be held in the upcoming junta-run election, including Kyaukme and Thibaw, but excluding Mogok. Locals suggested this signaled the junta’s vow to retake Kyaukme before the election.
At present, junta troops are advancing along the road linking Naungcho (Nawnghkio) in northern Shan State with Mogok, moving toward Monglon in Kyaukme Township. It is believed the junta will attempt to regain control of these areas ahead of the election, raising the likelihood of clashes breaking out.
