Two civilians, including a young child, were killed and two women injured after artillery fired by Myanmar’s military junta hit a village in Bilin township, Mon state, residents and local media said on Tuesday.
The shelling occurred at around 1:00 p.m. on Jan. 26 when the military fired heavy artillery from Light Infantry Battalion 3, based near Paindaw village. One shell struck a home in Alu Gyi village, killing a 57-year-old woman and her three-year-old grandchild at the scene.
“The shell hit the house directly and killed the grandmother and child instantly,” a local woman told IMNA. “Another woman was seriously injured and taken to Bilin hospital.”
Two women were injured in total, including a 27-year-old who was hit by shrapnel and remains in critical condition at Bilin Township Public Hospital, residents said.
There were no clashes reported in the area at the time of the attack. Local residents said the military junta has continued firing artillery into villages in recent weeks, fuelling fear among civilians.
“They fire like this all the time, whether there is fighting or not. Nowhere feels safe,” another resident said.
Similar shelling by the same military unit earlier this month killed three men and injured a child and another civilian. In December, artillery fire also struck a monastery in the area, killing two civilians.
