At least five residents trapped in the fierce fighting between the junta and the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) in Nawngping Village Tract, Kyaukme Township, Shan State, were killed by a junta airstrike and crossfire between the two sides.
On the evening of August 24, heavy clashes erupted between the junta and the TNLA in the Goketwin area near Nawngping Village. The junta then deployed a Y-12 utility aircraft to drop bombs, killing two locals hiding in a house in Longkyein Village, who were struck by shrapnel and died instantly.
“There are still people trapped in the villages who can’t be evacuated, and their situation is really worrying. In Longkyein, two villagers, Ko Nyunt Win and Ko Pho Phyu, were killed on the spot when a Y-12 dropped bombs. But no one has dared to go and retrieve their bodies yet,” said a woman from Nawngping Village.
Nearly 100 locals taking refuge in the Nawngping Village monastery remain trapped. Although bombs dropped by junta aircraft missed the monastery, they damaged nearby houses.
The number of Nawngping Village Tract residents killed in crossfire between the TNLA and the junta continues to rise. The junta has also barred local rescue teams from entering the villages.
“In Ward 4, a couple was shot and killed while hiding in an underground pit, with troops from both sides active nearby. A day before, villagers had to bury a man who was shot dead by junta soldiers. Now, the safety of those left behind to guard the houses in the village is a serious concern,” a Nawngping villager told Shan Herald.
In Nawngping Village, a married couple from Ward 4, Ko Win Lwin, 50, and Ma Chaw, 40, were killed on August 24, while 47-year-old U San Lwin was shot dead on August 23. Three other women were injured in the crossfire.
Clashes are currently fierce in the Goketwin area, with casualties reported on both sides, while the junta is calling in airstrikes and artillery support.
On August 25, around 11:00 am, junta aircraft dropped two bombs on Warso Monastery in Ward 7, Kyaukme Town. The Shan Herald is still investigating the extent of the damage.
Meanwhile, aid workers assisting the roughly 10,000 locals displaced from Nawngping Village Tract due to the fighting said food aid is urgently needed.
