The junta has launched a series of airstrikes on Namtu Town in northern Shan State’s Namtu Township, forcing many residents to flee to safer areas, according to locals.
On October 7, at around 6:00 am, the junta bombed a monastery in Ward 8 of Namtu, a town controlled by the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA). No civilians were injured in the attack, but several buildings sustained damage.
“The bomb hit the monastery directly. The TNLA isn’t letting anyone go near the rubble or take photos. Phone lines in the town have been cut, and Namtu is completely silent. Locals are scared, and many have already fled, mostly to Lashio City,” a town resident said.
Most evacuees from Namtu have sought refuge in Lashio, the largest city in northern Shan State, while others have taken shelter in a displacement camp in nearby Nawnglan Village or temporarily stayed on farms and plantations.
Namtu was hit by the junta’s first airstrike on October 2, causing four deaths and seven injuries, including women and children.
The junta carried out additional bombings on Namtu Town on October 6 and 7, bringing the total to three airstrikes in a week.
Most residents have now fled Namtu, and with shops, schools, and businesses all closed, the town is left in an eerie, unsettling silence, according to locals.
Locals also suggested that the junta could launch a follow-up ground offensive after pounding the town with airstrikes.
“The junta is clearly trying to retake as many towns as it can before the elections it’s overseeing. Unless the TNLA gives in and withdraws from the towns it controls, the junta is likely to step up its airstrikes in the coming months, trying to weaken the TNLA as much as possible. After that, it’ll probably turn its attention to the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). In this situation, it’s more important than ever for ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) to stay united. Only then can the junta be effectively pushed back,” a political and military analyst in northern Shan State said.
Sources close to the TNLA said that when delegations from both sides met in the last week of August, with China mediating, the junta demanded that the TNLA withdraw from Namtu, Mantong, and Thibaw (Hsipaw) towns in northern Shan State, as well as Mogok in Mandalay Region. The TNLA refused, causing the talks to stall. On October 1, following heavy airstrikes and a ground offensive, the junta captured Kyaukme Town in northern Shan State from the TNLA.
Locals in northern Shan State predicted that Namtu, Mantong, Thibaw, and Mogok could face intensified airstrikes from the junta ahead of the first phase of voting, which is scheduled by the end of December.
Namtu Town, previously home to the junta’s Light Infantry Battalion 324 (LIB 324), was successfully captured by the TNLA on December 28, 2023.
