In Karenni State, Loikaw city, which is under the control of the military junta, a man was injured after stepping on a landmine while clearing his house compound in Dawookhu Ward, according to the Shwe Nyaung Pin Social Assistance Association.
The incident occurred on January 21, when Ko Kyaw Ni San, a resident of Dawookhu Ward, stepped on a landmine. He lost one of his legs and sustained injuries and is currently receiving medical treatment.
A Loikaw resident said that it is often reported that people who had previously fled the conflict and returned to their homes in Loikaw city, as well as those who have returned to clean their homes, step on landmines.
“In Loikaw, there were intense battles throughout the city during the ‘1111’ operation, so landmines were planted. After that, many people who returned to their homes stepped on mines, and we hear more cases happening while people are cleaning. Although it is said that the GE (Military Engineering Unit) clears landmines in urban wards for a fee, we still frequently hear about returnees stepping on mines,” the resident said.
According to local residents, although the junta has allowed people to return and live in urban wards, landmine injuries continue to occur frequently in areas where heavy battles previously took place, such as Dawookhu, Nanattaw, and Naungyar wards.
On January 5, a 43-year-old man from Loikaw Township also died after stepping on a landmine on his way to deliver goods outside the city.
