In recent days, Myitkyina, the capital of Kachin State, has seen a rise in robberies involving knife-wielding assailants, some of which have resulted in fatalities.

Two robberies involving knife attacks took place on the night of August 10, leaving one man seriously injured and another dead.

A Myitkyina resident said locals are now deeply concerned for their safety as knife crimes become increasingly common and threaten lives.

“I’m constantly worried about when I might get stabbed. Even when I’m riding my motorcycle, I keep looking in all directions because I don’t feel safe behind me anymore,” she said.

On August 10, at around 8:00 pm in Palana Ward, a 30-year-old man was fatally stabbed below the armpit. Earlier that evening, at around 7:30 pm in Shwesat Ward, a middle-aged motorcyclist was attacked by an assailant on another motorcycle, who stabbed him with a 6-inch blade, causing serious injuries below the shoulder and near the ribs.

Robberies have been happening in Myitkyina City for months, but most were not life-threatening. Lately, however, more incidents have turned serious and posed real dangers to people’s lives.

In July, Myitkyina City experienced four gang robberies, each involving at least six assailants armed with rods, knives, and guns.

It has not yet been confirmed whether the four incidents were carried out by the same individuals, and no arrests have been made so far.

According to records compiled by KNG, Myitkyina City saw 8 robberies in January 2025, 14 incidents in February, 10 in March, 12 in April, 6 in May, and 5 in June.

However, with the junta cutting off telephone and internet lines in many parts of Kachin State, gathering accurate data has become challenging, and these figures may not fully represent the situation on the ground.

According to Data for Myanmar, there were 25 armed robberies at banks and 57 at gold and jewelry shops across Myanmar in the first three years following the coup.