On the morning of August 16th, in Laihka (Leicha) Township within the Loilem District of Shan State, two civilians on a motorcycle were shot by Military Council troops, leading to the death of one and injury of another, according to local sources.

Around 11:00 AM, in Metlan village, Laihka, soldiers opened fire on two civilians riding a motorcycle in front of a restaurant after instructing them to halt, which they failed to do so.

"The two guys who got shot were on the same motorcycle. I heard soldiers at a nearby checkpoint told them to stop, but they didn't, and they got shot. We're not sure if it's true yet, but we know one person died from the shooting”, a Laihka resident told Shan Herald.

According to other people who saw it happen, one man on the motorcycle was killed on the spot, and another was hurt when the soldiers shot at them.

The person who got hurt is currently receiving treatment at Laihka Township People's Hospital, while the identity of the person who died remains undisclosed.

"We're not sure what the soldiers did with the body. The injured person is in Laihka hospital. Security is strong around where it happened, so people didn't want to go there and ask. The ones who got shot might be folks who came to check on their homes after they had to leave because of the war”, a local said.

An intense clash erupted on August 6th between the Shan State Progress Party/ Shan State Army (SSPP/ SSA) and the Military Council in Laihka. This has led to an ongoing tense military atmosphere in the area, causing locals to evacuate their homes and preventing them from returning.

Following the clash, the Military Council deployed additional troops to the area and imposed limitations on the villagers' movement within local communities, preventing them from escaping the conflict. Moreover, residents reported the sighting of military aircraft in the sky above Laihka.