The junta carried out an airstrike near a clinic in Kyaukme Town, located in northern Shan State’s Kyaukme Township, causing damage in the area.
Around 10:00 am on August 4, a bomb dropped by a junta aircraft exploded near Zayar Phyo Clinic and a nearby grocery shop in Ward 6, after the airstrike targeted the central area of Kyaukme Town, which is under the control of the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA).
“The bomb landed right in front of Zayar Phyo Clinic. Both the clinic and a nearby grocery shop were damaged. A house across from Daw Chaw Private School was also badly hit. It’s believed the junta used a 500-pound bomb in the strike. Smoke was seen rising from the site, it was visible from all across town. We still don’t know if there were any casualties,” said a Kyaukme Town resident.
Shan Herald is still investigating to determine the full extent of the damage and any casualties resulting from the junta’s airstrike.
On August 2, a monk at a monastery in Ward 2 of Kyaukme Town stepped on a landmine while clearing bushes, resulting in the loss of his right leg. He is still receiving medical treatment.
At around 2:30 pm on August 3, the junta carried out an airstrike on Thibaw (Hsipaw) Town in Thibaw Township, another TNLA-controlled town in northern Shan State. During the attack, four 500-pound bombs were dropped on the former headquarters of the junta’s Infantry Battalion 23, but no civilian injuries were reported.
In July alone, the junta launched airstrikes, artillery shelling, and drone attacks on TNLA-controlled towns of Kyaukme, Thibaw, Naungcho (Nawnghkio), Mantong, Mongngawt, and Kutkai in northern Shan State, as well as Mogok in the Mandalay Region. According to the TNLA, these attacks killed 27 civilians, including women and children, and injured 82 others, while also damaging or destroying 116 houses, 2 schools, and 2 monasteries.
On July 31, the junta declared martial law in 63 townships across Myanmar controlled by ethnic armed organizations (EAOs) and the People's Defense Force (PDF). Military analysts warn that the junta is likely to step up airstrikes in these areas around the clock.
