A man and a woman were killed when a drone, believed to belong to resistance forces, dropped a bomb onto a monastery refectory in Masutbum Village in Kachin State’s Hpakant Township.

The attack, which happened at about 5:00 pm on 2 July 2025, may have been carried out by resistance forces according to some villagers from Masutbum Village (also known as Ahmitepone Village). They said that following heavy fighting near to the village, resistance forces had used drones to target areas where they suspected junta troops were sheltering and that they had maybe wrongly targeted the monastery.

A resident of Masutbum Village said to KNG: “There’s significant junta activity in and around the village. Most residents have already evacuated, but some are still guarding their homes, fearing soldiers might loot or burn them if they’re left empty. Some villagers aren’t staying in their houses; instead, they’ve taken refuge in the monastery but haven’t left the village. Recently, two trucks full of junta troops arrived in Masutbum Village. In response, resistance forces used drones to bomb places they believed the enemy was hiding. Locals believe that they unfortunately hit the wrong target, which resulted in civilian casualties.

Resistance forces operating in Hpakant Township have confirmed they are conducting drone strikes in Masutbum Village that are based on intelligence about junta movements in the area.

A resistance source speculated that the attack had likely been carried out because the resistance forces believed the village had already been evacuated and that soldiers in civilian clothes were taking up positions there.

He said: “In Hpakant Township, fighting is happening in a lot of places. In some spots, there aren’t any ground battles, but there are drone strikes instead. The resistance forces usually carry out these attacks based on where they see the enemy moving. They don’t act recklessly. It’s very likely they launched the attack because they knew soldiers were hiding in the village, dressed in civilian clothes.”

He also warned the public that fighting in Hpakant Township could escalate and urged them to be on high alert and evacuate early if it looked like the fighting was getting close.

According to locals in Hpakant Township, junta troops are currently stationed in Masutbum Village and the nearby villages of Swutngatyang, Hmaw Wan Gyi, and Hmaw Wan Kalay, from where they are trying to deploy to other nearby villages.