Airstrikes injure three civilians in northern Shan State
Residents of Namtu and Hsipaw townships in northern Shan State told DVB that at least three civilians were injured and seven homes were destroyed in airstrikes carried out by the Burma Air Force on Monday. Oct. 6 marks the full moon day of Thadingyut, one of the most important days in Buddhism, when Buddhists pay respects to elders and light lamps.
“In Namtu, there were no casualties but homes, two vehicles, and a bus were destroyed. The fighter jet that attacked Namtu also attacked Hsipaw,” a Namtu resident told DVB on the condition of anonymity. Namtu and Hsipaw are located 41-46 miles (66-74 km) northwest and south of the regional capital Lashio. Both towns were seized by the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) in December 2023 and on Oct. 13, 2024.
The TNLA political wing, the Palaung State Liberation Front (PSLF), claimed that at least three civilians, including one child, were injured in Hsipaw during the Oct. 6 airstrike. Two civilians were killed and three were injured in airstrikes on two villages of Hsipaw on Oct. 4. Thirteen buildings, including a school and a monastery, were destroyed. Hsipaw and Namtu were among 56 towns placed under martial law on July 31.
The battle for Bhamo enters its 10th month in Kachin State
Sources on the frontline in southern Kachin State told DVB that the offensive launched by the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) to seize control of Bhamo Township from regime forces has continued into its tenth month of intense battle on Saturday.
“We’re locked in back-and-forth fighting in Bhamo,” a KIA source told DVB on the condition of anonymity, adding that most homes in Bhamo have been destroyed by airstrikes and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), or drone, attacks.
The total number of casualties in 10 months of the battle for Bhamo has not been reported. Bhamo is located 118 miles (190 km) south of the Kachin State capital Myitkyina and 56 miles (90 km) southwest of the KIA headquarters at Laiza. Read more
Regime retakes half of Laykaykaw town in Karen State
Sources on the frontline in Karen State’s Myawaddy Township told DVB that regime forces recaptured half of Laykaykaw town on Saturday. Laykaykaw is located seven miles (11 km) south of Myawaddy, along the Burma-Thailand border, and 89 miles (143 km) east of the Karen State capital Hpa-An.
“The whole town is a battlefield,” a Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) source told DVB on the condition of anonymity. He dismissed rumours circulating online by pro-regime social media accounts claiming that regime forces recaptured the entire town from the KNLA.
Humanitarian aid groups in Myawaddy told DVB that 2,919 residents of Laykaykaw town, who fled their homes and are now staying at seven informal Internally Displaced Person (IDP) camps along the Thaungyin (Moei) river, are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance on Friday. Read more
News by Region
KARENNI—Humanitarian aid workers in Demoso Township told DVB that 150 temporary shelters at an IDP camp located in western Demoso have been flooded due to heavy rain since Sept. 22. Demoso is located 11 miles (17 km) south of the state capital Loikaw.
“We’ve relocated 13 families,” Ko Lwan, a member of the Karenni Hope aid group, told DVB. He added that the water level has risen by about two feet (0.6 m) per day, meaning more families were likely to be relocated. Regime forces retook control of Demoso from resistance forces on Aug. 19.
NAYPYIDAW—Regime media reported that Tun Tun Naung, the regime Minister for Home Affairs, told a meeting in Naypyidaw on Saturday that 64 citizens have been prosecuted under the new Election Protection Law since its enactment on July 29.
“If the police fail to arrest individuals for criticizing the elections online, the army said it will take action,” a source close to the military told DVB on the condition of anonymity. He added that the military instructed the Ministry of Home Affairs to take “election offences” more seriously. Read more
SAGAING—Sources told DVB that pro-regime forces, including the Shanni Nationalities Army (SNA), are attempting to retake Banmauk town from the People’s Defence Force (PDF) on Saturday. Banmauk, located 235 miles (378 km) north of the regions’ capital Monywa, came under PDF control on Sept. 20.
A PDF source told DVB that fighting against pro-regime forces was ongoing within a five-mile (8 km) radius of the town. A resident of Indaw town, 28 miles (45 km) southeast of Banmauk, told DVB that they could hear the sound of artillery and airstrikes over the weekend. Indaw was seized by the PDF on April 7.
YANGON—Residents in Pazundaung Township told DVB that the Yegyaw Festival, held Oct. 1-7 on Bogyoke Road between Theinphyu and Upper Pazundaung roads, was crowded. The festival resumed in 2024 after a five year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2021 military coup.
“It is not as safe as it used to be when going out at night. I feel scared about getting arrested for [military] conscription or robbed,” a resident told DVB on the condition of anonymity. Over 500 Yegyaw Festival vendors sold food and provided games and entertainment.
Yangon residents visited the Shwedagon Pagoda on the Full Moon Day of Thadingyut on Monday. Check out our photos on DVB English News Facebook.
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