The Military Council launched artillery shelling and aerial bombardment near the location of the KIO/KIA headquarters of Kachin Independence Organization/Kachin Independence Army) In the third week of December close to Laiza township a local reported.

The Military Council launched attacks without any provocation on December 17th, 19th and 20th. A Laiza resident said “Artillery shells fell around the Zee Un Su Taung hill area. There is no fighting going on right now. At around 3:00am early in the morning, four or five artillery shots were fired. The Myanmar Army opened fire without any fighting.”

On the morning of December 20th, 2 fighter jets took off from Tada-U Air Base in Mandalay and bombed the area around Seng Mai Pa village, near Nam San Yan village, the KIO/KIA headquarters, locals said.

However as the artillery shells and bombs only fell outside the villages, there were no civilian casualties or damage to homes.

“Even though their bombs did not hit any villages, everyone was worried when they heard the sound of the planes. Some senior citizens said that the Myanmar Military attacked deliberately without fighting. ”, a woman from Lai Zar commented.

On December 19th, the Military Council troops stationed at Hkaya Bum and Bum Re Bum mountains, fired artillery at the KIO headquarters without any provocation.

Their random firing caused artillery rounds to explode around Moan Lai Khet village in Lai Zar and near Woi Chyai Bum Mountain. At around 1:00 AM on December 17th, two planes from Tada-U Air Base bombed the vicinity of Seng Mai Pa village, which is beyond Nam San Yan.

In the one-sided attacks by the Military Council around Laizar the bombs and artillery shells have not hit any villages yet, but they are exploding in the surrounding area causing fear and anxiety among the residents.”In a separate incident, the Military Council also fired artillery at the town of Mai Ja  Yang, another KIO/KIA controlled area on November 6th.