During fighting with the Kachin People’s Defence Force (KPDF) in Shwegu Township, Kachin State, a seven-year-old child was killed by government shelling and four other children and a woman, who lost her leg, were wounded.
According to an KPDF officer, the group that opposes the military regime ambushed four motorboats crossing the Irrawaddy River from Kyun Taw to Moe Sitt (aka Mosit) at 2pm on 22 September, capsizing some of them and possibly killing 27 out of 100 Burma Army (BA) soldiers on board.
“When they crossed the river, our troops attacked them from the shore…We recovered (five) dead BA soldiers from the river after the clash,” a KPDF officer said of the attack on Infantry Battalion 78, part of Light Infantry Division 88.
After the ambush, the BA shelled Moe Sitt, killing Maung Zwe Naing Win and injuring the others, as well as destroying homes, before entering the village.
“The children hurriedly looked for a safe place to hide when the shells started landing in the village. Unfortunately, a shell struck the hiding place of some children,” a man told KNG, declining to give his name for fear of reprisals.
The soldiers have occupied the village and searching all of the 300 homes for links to the KPDF.
