SAC airstrikes and shelling kill 46 civilians, injure 35, damage over 150 buildings along Chinese pipelines in Nawngkhio, Kyaukme and Hsipaw townships
SAC airstrikes and shelling kill 46 civilians, injure 35, damage over 150 buildings along Chinese pipelines in Nawngkhio, Kyaukme and Hsipaw townships
During only two weeks, from June 19 to July 4, 2024, SAC airstrikes and shelling killed at least 46 civilians, injured 35 and damaged over 150 buildings in Nawngkhio, Kyaukme and Hsipaw townships, where TNLA, MNDAA and PDF troops launched the second phase of Operation 1027.
Similar to the first phase of Operation 1027, SAC artillery and air attacks – including the use of deadly 500 pound bombs — have been concentrated on towns and villages along China’s oil and gas pipelines in these townships. Shells and aerial bombs have dropped close to the pipelines, causing renewed fears of a catastrophic fuel explosion.
Details of SAC airstrikes and shelling causing civilian casualties/damage in Nawngkhio township (June 25-30, 2024)
On June 25, TNLA and PDF troops started attacking SAC positions west of Nawngkhio town, and SAC troops began shelling directly into the town, killing two women, injuring one man, and damaging several houses in Puta and Market quarters.
On the same day, SAC troops at Oom Mark Dee village fired shells across the Chinese oil and gas pipelines towards Hsum Hsai village, damaging several houses there. One of the shells landed at Khio Kham temple, only 80 meters from the pipelines, injuring one monk and damaging the temple.
On June 26, TNLA and PDF forces seized the SAC’s IB 115 base, two kilometers west of Nawngkhio town, and took control of the town itself.
On June 27, the TNLA and PDF seized the SAC’s IB 114 base, close to IB 115, as well as SAC outposts in Oom Markha village and Oom Mark Dee village on the Muse-Mandalay highway west of the town.
From June 26 to 30, SAC troops indiscriminately fired artillery and carried out airstrikes in Nawng Khio town and villages west of the town, damaging dozens of houses and killing one civilian.
Details of SAC airstrikes and shelling causing civilian casualties/damage in Kyaukme township (June 19-July 2, 2024)
Between June 19 and July 2, 2024, SHRF has documented at least 44 civilians killed, 25 civilians injured and over 100 buildings damaged by SAC airstrikes and shelling in Kyaukme township. The actual number of civilian casualties is certain to be higher than this, as a local charity collected 60 dead bodies in civilian clothing in Kyaukme town in early July.
On June 19 and 24, SAC airstrikes on two villages northwest of Kyaukme town caused three civilian casualties and damaged civilian houses.
At 6 am on June 25, TNLA and PDF troops started attacking SAC positions in Kyaukme. Fighting occurred at SAC LIB 501 and LIB 502 bases, and at Nyeinchanye Gone, Na Ai Khan, Sakhantha and Long Wai villages. SAC troops fired heavy artillery and launched airstrikes in and around Kyaukme town, killing eight civilians, injuring eleven, and damaging many buildings, including a temple.
On June 26, the TNLA and PDF seized SAC Artillery Battalion 352 in Quarter 1 of Kyaukme town, as well as the Kyaukme Public Hospital, District Police Station, General Administration Department building and Fire Department building, where SAC troops had been based. During the fighting, SAC shelling and aerial bombing in and around the town killed seven civilians, including a group of six in front of their house.
Between June 27 and 29, SAC continued indiscriminate shelling and airstrikes into Kyaukme town and surrounding villages, killing twenty-one civilians and injuring seven.
On June 30 at around 11 pm, SAC aircraft dropped three 500 pound bombs on the town, damaging at least 20 houses, as well as a temple and a hotel, killing three civilians and injuring five.
On July 2, SAC shelling into the town killed four civilians.
Details of SAC airstrikes and shelling causing civilian casualties/damage in Hsipaw township (June 27-July 4, 2024)
TNLA troops arrived at Sop Lang village, about six kilometers east of Hsipaw town at midnight on June 24. Early the next morning SAC troops stationed near the Hsipaw bridge over the Namtu river started shelling in the direction of Sop Lang village, and fighting occurred.
From June 25 to June 27, SAC troops stationed at the Hsipaw bridge and at IB 23 shelled repeatedly in the direction of Sop Lang.
On June 27 at around 3:30 pm, SAC troops stationed at the Hsipaw bridge shelled into Pan Thein Taung quarter, Hsipaw town, even though there were no TNLA troops there. A shell landed in the quarter and damaged one resident’s house.
On June 29, MNDAA troops arrived at Se Ann village, on the Muse-Mandalay highway about 30 kilometers east of Hsipaw town. They later continued west towards the town.
In the evening of July 2 at around 7 pm, joint TNLA and PDF forces fought with SAC troops near Sarm Leng village, on the western edge of Hsipaw town. After that, SAC aircraft dropped bombs on Sarm Leng village, injuring five civilians and damaging two houses.
On July 4 at night, TNLA and MNDAA troops attacked SAC troops at the Hsipaw bridge and heavy fighting broke out. That night at around 8 pm, shells from SAC’s LIB 23 base landed in Pan Thein Taung quarter, Hsipaw town, injuring one civilian and damaging three houses.
Contact:
Sai Hor Hseng 66 99 246 5673/ 66 94 728 6696 Signal (Shan, English)
Ying Leng Harn 66 99 289 6080 Signal (Burmese)
