Junta troops advancing on the major jade-mining centre of Hpakant in Kachin State have begun raiding mine sites and setting them on fire, according to local sources.
A column of regime soldiers and local militia members entered the area east of Hpakant late last month, clashing with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and allied groups controlling access to the town.
On Tuesday, the junta forces started attacking mines near the village of Long Hkin (Lawng Hkang), a local man told Myanmar Now.
“After they arrived, they ordered the mine sites to halt operations. Since then, they’ve carried out raids and pushed further into the area. They seem to be targeting sites that remained active,” the man said.
A combined force of approximately 1,000 junta troops and. . .
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