Fierce fighting is continuing in Lashio town, northern Shan State, resulting in civilian casualties as of 26 July, according to local sources.
The clashes erupted after the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and its allied forces seized control of the junta’s Northeastern Military Command headquarters in Lashio on 25 July. The MNDAA also captured junta forces stationed at the Lashio Motel and the city hall, forcing them to retreat to Lashio University, according to resistance sources.
A resident living near Lashio University reported intense clashes between the MNDAA and the Military Council near Lashio university and Mansu Monastery around 10:00 am on 26 July.
“Bullets hit my house. The university is only separated by a brick wall from the Northeastern Military Command headquarters. We can hear artillery shelling near Mansu Monastery,” he said.
Five civilians were reportedly killed near Mansu Monastery, where the fighting was particularly severe.
A member of the local social assistance association mentioned that it was challenging to collect the bodies.
“Five young people in civilian clothes are dead on Awaiyar Lane 4 near Mansu Monastery, and the bodies have not been retrieved,” the association member said. Some residents have fled through Mae Han village amid the ongoing conflict. The MNDAA has occupied Lashio Airport and is securing the Northeastern Military Command headquarters nearby.
A former political prisoner reported that the MNDAA captured Lashio Prison in Ward No. 12 on the morning of 25 July. The release of political prisoners is anticipated once the town is fully secured. Details about the incident are not yet known.
Since capturing the junta’s infantry battalion (41) in the south, infantry battalion (68) in the north, and light infantry battalion (507) in the east in Shan State, the MNDAA has launched offensive attacks on junta troops throughout Lashio, taking control of most of the town, according to local sources.
The ongoing conflict poses a severe threat to the lives and safety of remaining residents. Since the battles erupted in Lashio on 3 July, about 50 civilians have been killed, local social aid workers report.
