A 20-year-old woman was killed, and a 12-year-old child was injured when the military junta launched a mortar attack on Hparkya village in Kyondoe, Karen State, according to a statement from the Karen National Union (KNU).
The incident occurred on February 1 at around 2:30 p.m. Despite no ongoing clashes in the area, junta forces from the No. (12) Military Operations Command fired a 170mm mortar shell from their base at A Myaw Kone, directly targeting civilian areas, the KNU reported.
The mortar exploded inside a rubber plantation, where 20-year-old migrant worker Nan Myint Myint San was working. She suffered fatal injuries due to the blast’s impact, which reportedly ruptured her heart. A 12-year-old child, Mehm Paing Paing, was also wounded by shrapnel.
The attack caused further damage, destroying homes and setting fire to parts of the rubber plantation. Local residents condemned the junta for deliberately targeting civilians, leading to unnecessary casualties and destruction.
