Local residents and Kachin Independence Army (KIA) military sources have confirmed that after seizing Shan Kyway village in Hpakant Township, Kachin State, the military has continued to conduct artillery strikes and burn down jade mining sites. On September 18th afternoon, after KIA and People’s Defense Force (PDF) revolutionary forces withdrew from Shan Kyway village, the military burned and destroyed machinery belonging to Yadanar Moe Myay Company. Fighting continues between the military and revolutionary forces in Hpakant, with the military forces occupying Shan Kyway village previously held by combined KIA and PDF forces. The military has been conducting indiscriminate artillery strikes on civilian areas without direct engagement, resulting in three civilian deaths, including a child, and seven injuries.
Fighting broke out in Hpakant at 5 AM on September 17th, with the military council firing artillery into civilian areas including Sha Ron Ka, Man, and Maw Shan regions. During midday, an artillery shell landed in Man Ward, killing one civilian and injuring three others. In the evening, artillery strikes on a church in Sha Ron Ka resulted in the immediate death of an elderly Kachin man who was the church caretaker. Around 4 PM, artillery strikes on Maw Shan and Sai Taung Maw Shan creek area killed one child instantly and injured four others, including children. Additionally, in Hpakant’s Maw Wine ward near the collective office, military forces shot and killed a man, then removed his body from the scene.
Since the arrival of Division 33 Commander Brigadier General Kaung Min Htut and Northern Command’s Division 3 Commander Brigadier General Zaw Win in Hpakant, the military has been deliberately targeting civilians with artillery strikes. During their military operations and raids, they have arrested and killed civilians, resulting in nearly 80 deaths and over 250 injuries. The military has been conducting these operations in Hpakant Township since late May, and sources indicate they continue to reinforce their troops in the area. These actions demonstrate a pattern of deliberate attacks on civilian populations, constituting serious violations of human rights and potential war crimes as the military continues its campaign of violence against the local population.
