A young girl was killed instantly by a landmine while collecting rice on a terrace farm in a village in Kyaukme Township, northern Shan State, and a man who rushed to help her was injured.

On October 25, around 1:00 pm, an explosion occurred on farmland in Namman Village, along the Kyaukme-Mongngawt Highway. The victim, a 15-year-old internally displaced person (IDP), was on a motorbike retrieving rice from a farm hut. A man in his 50s who tried to help her was also injured in a secondary blast.

“The girl was heading to get some rice when her motorcycle set off a landmine, throwing her onto the road. A man who ran to help her got hurt in the blast that followed. Sadly, the girl died from a serious head injury,” a Kyaukme resident said.

Namman Village lies between Kyaukme Town, recently retaken by the junta, and Mongngawt Town, still under the control of the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), just 13 miles from Kyaukme. The death of an IDP girl, killed by a landmine while temporarily returning to collect rice, has raised concerns among locals.

During an airstrike on October 24, the junta dropped a 500-pound bomb on Kawpawng Village, near TNLA-controlled Monglon Town in Kyaukme Township, killing a 70-year-old Buddhist monk and injuring 5 novices and 2 civilians, according to the TNLA.

Similarly, on October 18, junta aircraft dropped a 500-pound bomb on Namman Monastery along the Kyaukme-Mongngawt Highway, injuring two monks, locals reported.

Furthermore, on October 8, the junta dropped two 250-pound bombs near Namman Bridge, severely damaging the structure.

photo credit - CJ