More than 130 civilians were killed in Kachin State in 2025 due to various junta attacks, according to the Kachin Human Rights Watch (KHRW).

KHRW’s annual report, released on January 7, stated that over 130 civilians were killed in Kachin State in junta attacks, including airstrikes and artillery shelling.

The report claimed that 113 civilians were killed and 117 seriously injured in Kachin State last year due to junta attacks.

The report also highlighted that at least five airstrikes in Kachin State last year caused mass casualties, with the worst hitting a refugee camp in Bhamo Township, killing over 30 people.

“We’re just ordinary people displaced by the fighting. We’re not fighters. But the junta bombed our refugee camp at night while we were sleeping, even though there was no fighting. We had to pick up the scattered body parts of children and adults. It’s a horrific memory I’ll never forget. The junta deliberately targeted civilians,” said a displaced man from Bhamo, recalling the aftermath of the nightmarish attack.

KHRW accused the junta of blatantly committing war crimes by deliberately targeting civilians and said it will actively collect evidence to hold those responsible accountable in international courts.

An official from an undisclosed civil society organization in Kachin State also condemned the junta’s actions.

“The junta is trying to legitimize its rule by holding a sham election, yet it continues to brutally kill innocent civilians. In fact, the junta is deceiving the international community. We urge the international community to stop turning a blind eye to the military regime’s terrorist acts,” she said.

Military tensions remain high in Kachin State, prompting human rights groups to urge the public to stay vigilant and watch for potential airstrikes.

Meanwhile, the military and political situation is growing more complex as resistance forces employ every possible means to counter the junta’s attempts to hold the election.