During clashes in Hpasawng township, Karenni State, fumes from small arms and artillery fired by Junta troops, caused dizziness and vomiting among Karenni resistance fighters.

Colonel Phone Naing, the Adjutant General of the Karenni Army (KA), reported that during a raid on a Junta camp in Hpasawng, "Our troops attacked the Junta camp in Hpasawng. Our comrades experienced shortness of breath, dizziness, and vomiting from inhaling gunpowder fumes from their retaliatory firing. It is unclear if there is some kind of toxicity in the fumes”, Colonel Phone Naing said.

He said that it has become a known routine for Junta troops to use unorthodox methods whenever they are suffering setbacks. He continued, “the toxicity in the fumes was not too severe, and all the resistance fighters have now fully recovered.”

"In war, dirty methods are often used when fighting for survival, and the Junta troops frequently resort to these tactics when facing setbacks. They seem hesitant to deploy very strong toxic gases. In the recent incident, all our comrades have recovered, indicating that the toxicity in the fumes was not very severe”, Colonel Phone Naing remarked.

Clashes began in late February in Hpasawng's town areas, and are still ongoing. The Junta's garrisoned forces in Hpasawng include the 134th and 135th Infantry Battalions, with the 531st Light Infantry Battalion and a combat battalion from the 66th Light Infantry Division deployed as reinforcements, according to resistance forces.

According to the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF) statement released on March 23, the resistance forces have captured a total of 9 Junta camps and outposts across the entire Hpasawng township.