Lway June Moe, Mar 20, Kutkai
At least eight civilians, including a child, were killed and seven others wounded—among them four children—following drone strikes and gunfire by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) during the clashes in Kutkai Township, northern Shan State.
At approximately 9:00 a.m. on March 15, an MNDAA drone dropped a bomb on a monastery in Man Tan Village, Kutkai Township, killing two civilians who were seeking shelter inside.
The victims have been identified as 8-year-old Ma Ei Awin and 46-year-old Yama Aifis. A local resident reported that the attack was part of a broader assault on religious sites in the area: “On that day, the Kokang troops also attacked the monasteries in Man Tan and Lwelsaing villages. Everything was destroyed.”
The explosion in Man Tan Village also left five others wounded, including three children. The injured have been identified as Lwei Am (4), Ma Ei Mote (
, Ma Ei Htay (
Reports from Shwe Phee Myay indicate a series of targeted killings and drone attacks by MNDAA forces in the Kutkai area between March 14 and March 17.
On March 14, as fighting first broke out, MNDAA troops reportedly detained and executed two men from Ward 4 in Nam Phat Kar, including 34-year-old Mine Aik Kyin.
A few days later, on March 17 at approximately 2:30 p.m., Kokang forces shot and killed U Naing Kin (37), the village head of Man Pyin. Sources report that the MNDAA subsequently sealed off all village entrances and exits in an attempt to prevent news of the execution from reaching the public.
Eyewitnesses also described a fatal drone strike on March 16 around 4:00 p.m. in Kaung Khar Man Pyin. The blast killed Ya Aik Kyin (40) while he was cutting bamboo and left his 8-year-old daughter, Lwei Am, with life-threatening injuries.
In a continuous wave of aerial attacks, the MNDAA reportedly dropped more than 100 drone bombs around Man Pyin on the afternoon of March 17, focusing heavily on the western forest outskirts of the village.
It remains unclear whether the MNDAA believed TNLA troops were positioned in the area. During the bombardment, a mother and her daughter were struck; the mother was killed instantly, while her daughter sustained critical injuries.
The violence has extended to religious and residential sites across the township. On March 15, at approximately 1:00 p.m., an MNDAA drone strike targeted a monastery in Lwelsaing Village, Kutkai Township.
According to a local resident, the attack killed a man identified as Mine Htun Hla and left 45-year-old U Aik Hein wounded. On the same day, a drone bomb struck a private residence in Hoke Kyant Village, resulting in the death of 53-year-old Yama Khin.
These casualty figures are based on preliminary records gathered by Shwe Phee Myay. However, local sources warn that due to restricted access and the volatility of the situation, the actual number of civilian casualties on the ground is likely significantly higher.
~ ~ ~
Translated by #KLT
~ ~ ~
You can read and listen to our Shwe Phee Myay’s reports, not only on Facebook and our Website, but also on the following channels:
