Two civilians were injured in Sei Lant Village on Tuesday as fighting escalated between junta forces and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), displacing more than 500 people in Muse Township in northern Shan State near the Myanmar-China border, according to local residents.
Sei Lant was largely deserted on Wednesday as the junta conducted heavy shelling over the village, according to residents.
“Two villagers sustained injuries as they were hit by shrapnel on Tuesday,” a Sei Lant villager said.
A local volunteer said one of the wounded villagers was in critical condition and transferred to Mandalay Hospital from Muse on Wednesday.
A burning house was seen in a video uploaded on Facebook by the Tai (Shan) Students’ Union.
No one claimed responsibility for the shelling but junta forces have previously conducted shelling over civilian villages in Muse.
Sources said an artillery shell exploded on a civilian house close to an outpost of paramilitary troops. The junta-backed paramilitaries are based outside of Sei Lant near a high school on the Muse-Nam Kham Road, according to residents.
The Irrawaddy was unable to verify the reports.
A Sei Lant resident said his family left the village yesterday due to the escalation of fighting between junta troops and the TNLA.
“We are temporarily staying at a relative’s house in Nam Kham. My wife and daughter were petrified by the junta air strikes and heavy bombardments,” he said.
Sei Lant Village consists of 10 wards with around 400 households. The village also hosts the remains of an ancient fortress that is well known among Shan communities.
Meanwhile, 200 Palaung (Ta’ang) residents from Mant Kan, Mai Hset and Nam Kat villages are taking shelter at Ho Nar Monastery in Muse town, according to a local volunteer group.
“Around 200 residents including children and seniors were evacuated with the help of volunteers yesterday. Some people still remain in the village,” a volunteer said.
The fighting eased on Wednesday but tension between junta troops and the TNLA remained high in Sei Lant, according to residents.
The TLNA reported that at least 15 clashes occurred in Muse, Kutkai and Lashio townships in August as junta infantry and their militia allies entered its territory.
