Following a surprise attack on soldiers by Shan State Army on 11 August, the Burma Army saturated a village near by with mortar shells, wounding at least 13 people including 3 women and 3 children, according to sources from Mongyai township, Shan State North.
Several houses in Wanzang were damaged including that of Loong Zai, village headman, while the house of his secretary Loong Nu was shot full of holes. “The soldiers also knocked down Mawng Tun’s house that escaped the shellings and shootings,” said a witness.
Among the injured were:
Mawng Yao, male, 53, Wan Zang
Loong Lu, male, 65, Wan Zang
Hsaw Ya, male, 45, Teu Leng
Swe Zing, female, 26, Wan Zang
Nang Tun, female, 24, Kung Niu
Nang Kieng, female, 26, Hoteu
Sai Kham, male, 6, Wan Zang
Nang Phawng, female, 11, Wan Zang
Sai Awn, male, 10, Wan Zang
Sai Kham and Nang Phawng were sent to Lashio, 55 miles north of Mongyai, for further treatment.
Among those assaulted were Tima, Kaw Lu, Zitta and Hsalu, all males.
The unfortunate incident took place a few minutes after a scuffle between two men, believed to be SSA members, and a column from Light Infantry Battalion 325 commanded by Maj. Myo Saw Maung.
The said two men, attired as farmers, were reportedly stopped by a team of soldiers assigned to check on wayfarers. One of the two had suddenly pulled out a knife from his pem (basket worn at the back of a person with strings tied around his/her waist) and slashed at one soldier. The two then made off with one MA1 automatic rifle, with 27 cartridges.
Infuriated, Myo Saw Maung had ordered the sacking of Wan Zang as punishment for not informing in advance of resistance activities in the vicinity.
This was the third time when unsuspecting soldiers at Burma Army checkpoints were attacked by SSA fighters.
Since the military campaign against the Shan State Army (SSA) began on 13 March, at least 31,700 people had been left homeless, reported Shan Women’s Action Network (SWAN) and Shan Human Rights Foundation (SHRF) on August 10.
