In Waingmaw township of Kachin State, the Junta has intensified airstrikes around the villages of Wuyang, Lamyan, and Motekyeit, in the vicinity of fierce fighting.Extensive damage was inflicted on nearly all villages.
From June 18 – 19th, between Wuyang and Lamyan, Junta troops and allied Lisu militia clashed with a joint resistance force led by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). After a Junta officer was killed in the clashes, the Junta bombarded the area using various aircraft.
A local told KNG,“ Street battles have erupted near the church in Lamyan. The following day, clashes continued along the route from Wuyang to Nanzawyang. During these two days of fighting, the Junta suffered heavy casualties, including the death of an officer. Afterward, ground clashes subsided, but the Junta increased airstrikes and shelling.”
Local villages, including Wuyang, Lamyan, Motekyeit, Namwar, and Warshawng, suffered heavy damage from the indiscriminate bombardment by Junta troops.
Among them, the villages of Lamyan and Motekyeit suffered the most severe damage, with Lamyan bearing the brunt of the Junta's barrage, according to Waingmaw residents.
In Lamyan village, which has over 300 houses, almost all buildings, including the church, were destroyed, a villager reported.
“Almost all the villagers have evacuated to Gwayhtu village for shelter. When we went back to Lamyan briefly to check on the situation after hearing bad news, we found almost no house left intact. Our two-story house was heavily damaged by the bombardments, and the neighboring houses were also toppled. The village church has collapsed, and there were hardly any houses that have not been affected by the shelling”, he said.
In recent days, the Junta and militia coalition forces have intensified artillery barrages targeting the positions of KIA-led joint forces and have expanded their military presence in the region, increasing the likelihood of further clashes.
Footage of the bodies of Junta troops and militia members killed in the clashes, scattered along the road near Lamyan village, has also circulated on social media.
In Waingmaw township, the KIA-led joint forces successfully captured multiple Junta, Border Guard Force (BGF) and militia outposts, encampments, and bases along the Sadung-Kan Paik Ti Road on June 11.
Facing such humiliating setbacks, the Junta has escalated its targeted destruction of civilian areas as a vile act of retaliation.
