At least seven civilians were killed and over 20 others were injured by an airstrike on mining sites located in Mawchi town of Hpasawng Township, Karenni State, on Wednesday. Hpasawng is located 73 miles (117 km) south of the state capital Loikaw.

“We’ve recorded the regime’s attacks on civilians to take action against the perpetrators later for war crimes,” Banyar Aung, a secretary of the provisional government Karenni Interim Executive Council (IEC), told DVB. The Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF) gained control of Mawchi on Jan. 28, 2024.

Mawchi is located 19 miles (30 km) west of Hpasawng town, where the Karenni National People’s Liberation Front (KNPLF) and the People’s Defense Force (PDF) reportedly launched an offensive on the remaining two regime Light Infantry Battalions (LIB) 134 and 135 on June 25. Karenni resistance forces claim to have captured 12 regime outposts in Hpasawng since February 2024. 

The Tun Myanmar Donation group, which assists people living at Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps, accused the regime of targeting civilians. Pho Zaw, the group’s spokesperson, stated that Mawchi was attacked despite no ongoing fighting between regime and resistance forces. Sources in Karenni told DVB that at least 16 civilians have been killed and over 50 have been injured in six airstrikes on Mawchi since March. 

The PDF in southern Shan State announced that two of its members were killed by regime forces during fighting in Moebye town of Pekon Township June 23-25. Moebye is located 100 miles (160 km) south of the Shan State capital Taunggyi and 11 miles (17 km) north of Loikaw. 

Resistance forces seized Moebye on Nov. 11, 2023, as well as six other towns in Karenni during “Operation 1111”. Pro-regime forces, including the Pa-O National Organization (PNO), launched a counteroffensive to retake control of Moebye in November.

Residents of Pekon Township accused pro-regime forces of setting fire to more than 40 homes in Saungnankhe village on June 24. Residents said that regime forces believed the village was being inhabited by members of the resistance. No casualties were reported. Villagers had already evacuated their homes earlier this month. 

The PDF told DVB that over 10,000 residents across 20 villages in southern Shan’s Pekon, Pinlaung and Nyaungshwe townships had to flee their homes as over 1,000 pro-regime troops launched a counteroffensive on June 2. A PDF member said that resistance forces had to withdraw from three positions due to this, but did not disclose the locations. 

Min Aung Hlaing urged ethnic armed groups to lay down their arms and join negotiations during his opening address to delegates at regime “peace talks” with ethnic armed groups, which are being held in Naypyidaw June 25-27. The regime has carried out 842 attacks during its post-quake ceasefire which began on April 2. It is set to expire on June 30. Loikaw, Bawlakhe and Hpasawng remain under regime control.