The Brotherhood Alliance is moving closer to the northern Shan State capital, Lashio, as six residents were killed in the city on Thursday, according to residents.
Fighting has been reported across Lashio Township since Tuesday night as the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) advance on the junta’s northern strongholds.
“Yesterday, we could hear shelling and now we can hear rifle fire,” a Lashio resident told The Irrawaddy on Thursday.
He said junta bases in Lashio are firing less but more shells are hitting the city.
Residents are largely trapped in their homes while Lashio’s entrances are blocked by junta troops and militia allies.
Six Lashio residents, including a child, were killed on Thursday morning by shelling and a woman was taken to hospital with serious injuries, according to a rescue group.
On Wednesday morning, six members of a family, including two children, were killed when a junta shell hit their house, the TNLA said.
The TNLA said that another civilian was killed and two others injured when junta forces in Lashio shelled Nampawng village, 40km to the south.
On Wednesday night, a junta airstrike on the adjacent town of Hseni, which is under MNDAA control, destroyed 10 houses, according to the Shan media.
The Brotherhood Alliance has not commented on the attacks on Lashio.
The TNLA reported fighting in Nawnghkio Township on Wednesday at Missile Battalion 606 as regime forces in nearby Bant Bwe village shelled to defend the battalion.
The group said fighting was ongoing in Mongmit Township on Wednesday as the TNLA and Mandalay People’s Defense Force (PDF) allies attacked two bases.
The Brotherhood Alliance launched Operation 1027 against the regime in northern Shan State in October last year, seizing 24 battalion headquarters, around 20 towns and trade routes with China before a ceasefire was brokered on January 10 by Beijing.
But the TNLA resumed the operation on June 25 after repeated junta bombing of the group’s territory.
The TNLA says nearly 40 junta bases, including several battalion headquarters and police stations, have fallen.
The group said it has control of Kyaukme and Nawnghkio towns in northern Shan State and large parts of the ruby town Mogoke in northern Mandalay Region.
Mandalay PDF and allies say they have seized around 15 junta bases in Singu and Madaya townships in Mandalay Region, including police stations and an air-defense battalion.
