The Military Council shot randomly at the areas between Pinlaung Township and Naypyidaw Road in Taunggyi District, Shan State, panicking the residents.

On January 18th and 19th, the Military Council fired artillery and small arms, between Nam Pan and Lein Li villages in Pinlaung Township.

“Yesterday morning, they launched artillery barrages. Only gunshots were heard today. It wasn't a shoot-out, they just fired one-sidedly.  Their shelling targeted the forest areas, but the hillside farms of the locals were hit and damaged”, a Pinlaung resident said.

After some artillery rounds fell in farmlands, the people living in the hillside farms were forced to move back to the towns and villages.

“We went to live on hillside farms far away from the town. After the artillery shells started to land there, we were scared and decided to return to the town. It is quite difficult for us, and we were in panic, too”, residents told Shan Herald.

It was not known which organization was targeted with artillery attacks by the Military Council in Pinlaung.

“We don't know whom they were firing at. Since it was shot into the forest, it could be assumed that they threatened someone to come out of there. But we can’t say which organization was targeted”, a Nam Pan villager said.

In addition, the Military Council and Pa-O National Organization (PNO) is conducting strict inspections currently in Pinlaung town.

That was the first shelling incident in Pinlaung Township this year.