Eleven civilians were killed and a further 11 were wounded when a junta airstrike hit a tea shop in Naungcho (Naunghkio) Town in northern Shan State, at 2:30 pm on 12 November 2024.

The Lan San teashop, which was in the Naungcho Myoma Market in downtown Naungcho Town, was hit by a bomb dropped by a junta aircraft at 2:30 pm on 12 November. The teashop was a popular place and located in a bustling area often crowded with passenger vehicles.

The bomb destroyed the teashop and nearby vehicles, leaving the area in ruins.

There were many casualties as the teashop was busy at the time and the nearby vehicles were also occupied.

A Naungcho Town resident said: “[There were] many deaths. According to initial reports, around 20 people have died, including travellers from faraway regions.”

According to the The Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), which controls Naungcho Town, the bomb that hit the teashop was a 500 pound bomb. The TNLA also confirmed the number of casualties, 11 dead and 11 wounded.

Shan Herald is continuing to verify the exact casualty numbers.

The TNLA took control of Naungcho Town on 26 June 2024 and there was no ongoing fighting in Naungcho Town or the surrounding areas when the junta airstrike hit.

Previously, on 10 November, junta airstrikes targeted the police station, Market Ward, and South Ward in Naungcho Town.

In a separate incident, at around 11:00 pm on 11 November, a junta airstrike hit the TNLA-controlled Mogok Town. Shan Herald recorded six deaths due to the airstrike, but a later report by the TNLA put the number of deaths at nine and the number of casualties at 13.