A 57-year-old woman lost her life in Waingmaw Township, Kachin State, when a regime shell struck near her home in Theim Gyi Su as she was eating mangoes at noon on Tuesday, June 11. Shrapnel from the explosion penetrated her chest, resulting in her immediate death.
Local eyewitnesses report that the shell was fired from the Burma army in Myitkyina, the capital town of Kachin State.
The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and People’s Defence Force have been toppling Burma army installations in Waingmaw Township, which is close to Myitkyina. Since May 18, they have been taking its positions outside of Waingmaw town, with fighting now spreading to the town. Many people who initially fled there to escape earlier clashes in the township have been forced to flee to other areas, or they’re trapped by the fighting.
A man assisting them said, “There are up to 3,000 people in Waingmaw town. I do not know how to relocate them to safety, and we need to wait to assess the situation for one to two days.” He added that the fighting has worsened, and they do not have enough vehicles to get them out. Additionally, the roads may be blocked by the clashes.
A day before the middle-aged woman was killed, another shell struck a home near the high school in Khat Cho, killing a 26-year-old man and injuring seven villagers in the township.
