Four civilians, including two children, killed in fighting for control of Muse

Two children were among four people killed in the northern Shan State town of Muse on Monday, as anti-regime groups continued their efforts to seize control of the key gateway to trade with neighbouring China. According to local sources, the victims were all killed in or near the 105-Mile Trade Zone, a sprawling commercial area located a few kilometres east of the town. One unidentified man was reportedly shot dead near a bank in the trade zone after being caught in the crossfire of a clash between junta forces and members of an ethnic alliance that launched a major offensive against the regime late last month. The other victims were killed by an airstrike that hit a farm near the 105-Mile Trade Zone, according to a family member who spoke to Myanmar Now. “Four bombs fell on the farm. Two exploded instantly and two were found unexploded this morning,” said the relative, who did not want to be identified for security reasons. Durka Bardu, 6, Thaw Zin Khant, 9, and Rohan, 18, were all killed instantly in the attack. Six other civilians were also injured. Sporadic fighting has been reported in Muse since Saturday. The following day, the allied ethnic armed groups captured the Kyin San Kyawt border gate, one of five official crossings in Muse. Since then, fighting has intensified, especially around the 105-Mile Trade Zone, which is on the main road from Muse to Lashio and Mandalay. Several government offices overseeing daily trade activities are located in the zone. According to a member of a local welfare group, the military also has two hilltop outposts in the area, including one that has already been overrun by the anti-regime forces. Locals seen on the Muse side of the Myanmar-China border crossing in early 2023 (Myanmar Now) “They took it by dropping bombs from drones,” he said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Junta spokesperson Zaw Min Tun acknowledged on Monday that there had been fighting in Muse, but made no mention of civilian casualties. The town handles nearly 90% of all cross-border trade with China, which is a major source of revenue for the junta. The trade was valued at more than US$2 billion in the first half of the current fiscal year. The attacks on Muse were led by the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), which along with the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army and Arakan Army is part of the Brotherhood Alliance. On Monday, TNLA spokesperson Lt-Col Tar Eik Kyaw reported a major clash near the 105-Mile Trade Zone the night before and another at the Nampaw Bridge, on the Pyidaungsu Road in Muse, at around 3:30am. Locals said that after the clashes, the junta launched an airstrike on a truck stop at the 105-Mile Trade Zone that destroyed a number of hotels, restaurants, and vehicles. Since launching their offensive on October 27, the Brotherhood Alliance has captured the border town of Chin Shwe Haw and encircled Laukkai, also located on the border with China. In total, they now control around half a dozen towns and more than 170 junta outposts in northern Shan State. While thousands of people have fled Laukkai, which serves as the administrative centre of the Kokang Self-Administered Zone, amid fears of an intensification of the fighting there, most residents of Muse have remained in the town. One local man who spoke to Myanmar Now on Monday said that people are still venturing out into the streets, but are wary of the constant danger from artillery fire and aerial attacks. “We’re afraid of shells falling on our houses. As for gunfire, we’re not so afraid of that anymore because we’ve had a lot of experience. What we are mainly afraid of is being bombed by planes,” he said.

Four civilians, including two children, killed in fighting for control of Muse

The town, which accounts for nearly 90% of Myanmar’s cross-border trade with China, is the latest target of a major anti-junta offensive

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