Junta troops advancing into Hpakant Township in Kachin State have repeatedly been intercepted by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) along their route, and as of August 14, heavy clashes continued between Kamaing Town and Namya Village in Hpakant Township.

Hundreds of junta troops, dispatched from Kamaing Town and Mogaung Township, are currently in the Um Kahtawng and Lagat Kawng areas. As they attempted to advance toward Namya Village, they were heavily intercepted by the KIA, sparking fierce clashes.

“The junta columns keep trying to push north. Gunfights broke out again early on August 14. The KIA is still blocking their advance in Um Kahtawng and Lagat Kawng, and the junta is even deploying drones. The fighting has now been going on for three days,” a Namya villager close to KIA troops said.

Currently, the junta columns remain stuck in Um Kahtawng and Lagat Kawng, unable to advance further.

The junta columns, numbering between 300 and 500, included not only regular troops but also Warazut, Kamaing, and Mogaung militia aligned with the junta.

Currently, the Kamaing-Namya Road is open to traffic, as neither the KIA nor the junta has closed it, but militia members are shouting at, physically assaulting, and detaining Kachin locals and travelers. Some witnesses also reported that some militia members were dressed in civilian clothes and mingling with travelers to move through the route.

Truckers lamented that fighting has been ongoing between Kamaing and Namya since August 12, with the road temporarily closed during intense gunfights, causing major disruptions to travel.

The junta has been carrying out an offensive in Hpakant Township for about three months, launching three frontlines to reclaim territories lost to the KIA.

In addition to the ongoing battles in Kamaing and Namya, clashes are also continuing around villages including Mawsisar, Maw Wan Gyi, Maw Wan Kalay, and Sut Bum in Hpakant Township, according to Hpakant residents.

Furthermore, the junta's Tactical Operations Command (Hpakant TOC), based in Hpakant Town, has been shelling residential areas with artillery almost daily, resulting in a rise in civilian casualties.

On August 14, around 1:00 pm, an artillery shell fired from Hpakant TOC struck Rawangkone Village in Sharaw Hka Village Tract, injuring a teenager and four men over the age of 50.

On August 13, Hpakant TOC shelled KIA and allied resistance force positions with artillery at least 10 times.

In the first week of August alone, junta artillery shelling killed seven people and injured over 20 in villages across Hpakant Township.