Artillery Strike Claims Lives of 29 at a Displaced People's Camp in Myanmar

An artillery strike on a camp for displaced people in Myanmar has resulted in the death of 29 individuals, including children. The camp is situated near a military camp belonging to the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), an insurgent group that is currently engaged in combat against the ruling military Junta of the country. A spokesperson for the KIA informed the BBC that all the victims of the strike were civilians. Following a military coup in 2021, Myanmar has been plagued by conflict and political instability. The exiled National Unity Government (NUG) has accused the Junta of carrying out the attack on the camp, labeling it as a "war crime and crime against humanity." The BBC has reached out to the military for a response. Since seizing power from the civilian government, the military has increasingly utilized air strikes against its adversaries. Footage shared by local media depicted bodies being recovered from the debris, with numerous body bags placed side by side. The assault occurred late on Monday night in the Mong Lai Khet Quarter, approximately two miles away from the KIA's headquarters in the town of Laiza. Although the region has experienced long-term conflict, local residents claim that there has been no recent fighting near the camp. This area, which is located close to the Chinese border, is home to numerous civilians residing in internal displacement camps in and around the town. The KIA, one of the largest ethnic insurgent groups in Myanmar, has been engaged in conflict with the military for several decades, even prior to the coup. Colonel Naw Bu of the KIA stated that a total of 56 individuals were injured in the latest attack, with 44 of them being transported to hospitals for treatment. In October of last year, over 60 people lost their lives when the military carried out airstrikes on Antpa in Kachin State.