A military airstrike on a Kachin Independence Army (KIA) training site preparation area in Shwegu Township, Kachin State, has resulted in the deaths of more than 15 people, according to KIA sources. The attack occurred in the early morning hours of September 18 within KIA Brigade 11 territory, Battalion 12 area, where preparations were being made to establish a training facility. The aerial bombardment caused destruction to temporary shelters and buildings at the site, killing at least 15 people and wounding more than 10 others.
According to KIA sources, the military conducted two successive airstrikes. After the initial bombing, while rescue operations were underway to help the wounded, the military launched a second attack shortly afterward. The targeted location was still in the preparatory stages of becoming a training facility and had not yet begun operations. The source clarified that the site could not yet be formally classified as a training school as it was still under development.
The military has been conducting continuous airstrikes throughout Kachin State, including attacks on Hpakant town on September 18. Specifically, around noon, the military conducted an airstrike on a jade company compound in Seikmu village’s Mashang ward, though no casualties were reported in that incident. These ongoing aerial attacks continue to pose significant threats to the safety and security of local civilians and their properties. The military’s escalating use of airstrikes in civilian areas has become a growing concern for humanitarian organizations and local communities, as these attacks often result in civilian casualties and displacement of local populations.
