Myanmar’s military carried out airstrikes on the towns of Namtu and Mantong in northern Shan State on the morning of October 2nd, killing three internally displaced persons and injuring seven others, including a child.
The towns have been under the control of the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) for nearly two years. A local resident reported that a jet fighter dropped a bomb on a ward in Namtu around 7:15 a.m., killing two people immediately and a third later at the hospital.
Initial reports indicate the victims were two elderly women and a man, all of whom had earlier fled conflict in Kyaukme. A local woman stated that this was the first time the urban area of Namtu had been bombed and that no one was expecting the attack.
Shortly after the strike on Namtu, another airstrike was launched near Mantong township. The full extent of the damage there is still being assessed.
This escalation in northern Shan State follows reports that junta forces entered Kyaukme town on October 1st, further intensifying military operations in the region.
