Several junta soldiers are believed to have been killed after fighting broke out in the Kachin State jade-mining town of Hpakant early Monday morning, according to local sources.
The clash reportedly began at around 6am, after a combined force of Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and People’s Defence Force (PDF) troops attacked soldiers based inside the compound of the Ever Winner Jade company in Hpakant’s Yumar ward.
The two sides fought for around an hour, a resident of the town with ties to the PDF told Myanmar Now.
“They attacked the junta force stationed inside the Ever Winner compound. There were some junta casualties, but we don’t know exactly how many,” he added.
The incident occurred amid reports of a series of blasts in and around the town over the weekend.
On Saturday, resistance forces threw eight grenades at Hpakant Township’s general administration office, reportedly injuring several staff members.
A woman who witnessed the incident said she saw blood inside the building after the explosions, as well as several people being taken away in ambulances.
According to a local man, junta troops stationed at the nearby Myo-U Pagoda opened fire with heavy artillery after the attack, forcing residents of the area to flee.
The next day, two young men were found dead on the side of the road to Lone Khin, a town about 25km north of Hpakant. The victims could not be identified at the time of reporting, but were believed to be members of the PDF.
Later the same day, explosions were reported at the Uruyadana Jade Bridge and Pan Tin Bridge, according to locals.
Tensions have been high in Hpakant since the military carried out airstrikes on October 23 of last year targeting a music festival held there to celebrate the founding of the Kachin Independence Organisation, the KIA’s political wing.
Dozens of people, including KIA officers and civilians, were killed in that attack.
In the wake of the February 2021 coup, the KIA moved aggressively to recapture bases it had lost during previous years of fighting with the Myanmar military.
Following the formation of PDF and other armed groups opposed to the coup, the KIA played a leading role in providing weapons and training to resistance forces in the country’s north.
Anti-regime activity has increased around the country in recent weeks, as the junta moves to hold elections two years after seizing power.
On Monday, residents of Hpakant said they saw plainclothes junta troops at the town’s gemstone market collecting lists of local household members in preparation for the election, which regime opponents say will be used to legitimise continued military rule.
