At least nine civilians were killed and several houses were burned down following heavy artillery strikes by the military council forces in Kone Sat Hill, Lonekhin village, Hpakant Township, Kachin State. According to local residents, the military council troops stationed at Taung Ma Hill in Hpakant fired heavy artillery at Kone Sat Hill in Lonekhin village around 9:10 PM on June 6. The artillery strikes caused severe explosions, resulting in fires that engulfed a fertilizer warehouse and nearby residential buildings in the Peace and Tranquility (also known as Kone Sat Hill) area of Hpakant Township. The fires continued burning for several hours.
Local sources reported that the military council forces had been conducting arson attacks in the areas of Lonekhin Maw Si Sa, Kutai Maw, and Sankha regions in recent days. While the Hpakant Taung Ma Hill area was previously stable, the situation deteriorated after the arrival of military reinforcements, which began conducting continuous attacks on surrounding areas. The sources emphasized that the military forces specifically targeted civilians in their attacks. Analysis of the explosion sites revealed large craters caused by artillery impacts, followed by secondary explosions and fires. The military’s deliberate targeting of civilian areas has raised serious concerns among local residents about their safety and security.
According to additional sources from the Hpakant area, the explosions and fires from the previous night destroyed a Pearl fertilizer warehouse and multiple residential buildings, with twelve houses completely destroyed in the attack. Among the confirmed casualties was a child, with a total of nine bodies recovered from the scene. Local residents believe this incident represents a deliberate attack by the military council forces against civilians. The ongoing military attacks have resulted in significant loss of life and property, leading to a deteriorating security situation in the region. The impact of these attacks continues to severely affect the local population, destroying their homes and livelihoods while creating an atmosphere of fear and instability in the community.
