Fighting has broken out between the military council forces and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) allied forces near Lonekhin village in Hpakant Township, Kachin State, according to local residents and KIA sources. The clashes began after military council troops arrived near Lonekhin village on the evening of May 27 and started artillery shelling, with intense fighting breaking out at 8 AM on May 28. The fighting is taking place near the Two-Faced Buddha area across the Uru Creek from Lonekhin village, with sounds of battle also being heard in the Khun Sa Hill and Laypyin areas. Local residents report continuous sounds of heavy weapons fire in the vicinity.
The military council forces are advancing toward Hpakant town with hundreds of troops, conducting artillery strikes on villages along their path. Clashes erupted when the military column entered the area near the explosives factory at the entrance to Hpakant and Laypyin village. According to military sources, the council forces appear to be targeting the military hill base in Hpakant. While KIA allied forces have blockaded the military hill base, it continues to launch frequent artillery attacks from its position. The military council forces have been conducting arrests and torture of local civilians, with KIA military sources warning of potentially life-threatening situations for residents in the area.
While many residents of Lonekhin fled the previous night, a significant number of civilians still remain in the village. With the military situation becoming increasingly tense, those remaining are now preparing to evacuate to safer locations. Local sources indicate that the humanitarian situation is deteriorating as the fighting intensifies, with civilians caught in the crossfire between the opposing forces. The military council’s aggressive advance toward Hpakant, accompanied by indiscriminate shelling of civilian areas, has created a severe crisis for local residents who are struggling to find safe refuge from the expanding conflict.
