(MENAFN) In under a month, no fewer than 30 non-combatants were allegedly killed due to gunfire and heavy artillery bombardment by Myanmar’s military regime in the northern part of the country.

According to a local news platform, junta forces carried out assaults on a significant jade-producing settlement in Hpakan township, located in Kachin state, between May 27 and June 16. These reports are based on statements from unnamed sources.

Approximately 600 soldiers were reportedly mobilized from Kamaing, a town nearly 40 miles (or 64 kilometers) away from Hpakant, around mid-April.

This maneuver aimed to reinforce the military’s remaining strongholds after the Kachin Independence Army (KIA)—a local armed resistance group—captured elevated outposts and nearby villages, effectively cutting off junta access and movements.

Once the reinforcements reached the area, they allegedly began carrying out operations targeting both the town and adjacent settlements.

As reported, they ignited fires in jade extraction zones and launched artillery strikes against the eastern side of the region.

These aggressive actions resulted in the detention of several locals, while many civilians suffered injuries during the onslaught, according to the media outlet’s sources.

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