August 7, 2025
Update: SAC air and artillery attacks kill 35 civilians, injure 55 in Hsipaw, Mogok, Kyaukme, Nawngkhio, Kutkhai, threatening Chinese pipelines
Between July 15 and August 4, 2025, SAC airstrikes and shelling killed thirty-five civilians and injured fifty-five others, damaging over 60 buildings — including three hotels, two Buddhist temples, two schools and a clinic — in areas of Hsipaw, Mogok, Kyaukme, Nawngkhio and Kutkhai townships under control of the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) since 2024.
SAC air and artillery attacks in Kyaukme and Hsipaw townships were carried out dangerously close to China’s oil and gas pipelines, renewing fears of possible pipeline explosion. In both townships, bombs exploded near pipeline control stations, where the pipeline infrastructure comes above ground, making it more vulnerable to rupture and ignition of fuel.
In Kyaukme the attacks near the pipelines were carried out by SAC troops based at Goke Hteik Bridge, who fired shells and launched drones eastward directly along the pipelines, and over a pipeline control station. Between July 25 and 31, more than 17 artillery shells and 3 drone bombs landed in Pang Pao, Pang Tueng and Nawng Ping Long villages, killing five civilians, including a Buddhist novice, injuring five other young novices, and damaging two temples, including one where IDPs were sheltering.
In Hsipaw, SAC airstrikes, dropping powerful 500-pound and 250-pound bombs, took place near the pipelines on the northern edge of the town between July 19 and August 3. One of the bombs dropped on Wan Mai village, whose eastern edge lies only 100 meters from the pipelines.
Details of SAC attacks
On July 15, at 1 pm, a SAC jet fighter dropped a bomb on Mong Ngaw, northern Kyaukme township, damaging the main bridge near the town.
On July 19, at 11:49 pm, a SAC jet fighter dropped three bombs on Hsipaw town. One bomb landed at the Hsipaw prison in Jart Suu quarter, one bomb landed at Jart Suu public park and another bomb dropped on the No 1 primary School in Pan Thein Taung quarter. The school and three houses were damaged.
On July 20, at 3 pm, SAC troops from Goke Hteik Bridge fired seven artillery shells and launched drone attacks from Goke Hteik Bridge into Nawng Peid village in Nawngkhio township, killing two civilians — a mother (Ma Khai aged 35) and her daughter (Nang Shwe Sin Lyn aged 9) and damaging several houses.
On July 20, at 1 am, a SAC jet fighter dropped a 500-pound bomb on Tong Chang village, on the northern edge of Hsipaw town, damaging several houses.
On July 23, in the afternoon, a SAC jet fighter dropped a 250-pound bomb on the former SAC IB base north of Hsipaw town, damaging a meeting hall in the base.
On July 25, at 12 pm, SAC troops at Goke Hteik Bridge launched drone attacks on Pang Pao village in Kyaukme township. Three drone bombs killed one man and injured two civilians, damaging five houses.
On July 26, between midday to 3 pm, SAC troops fired eight artillery shells from Goke Hteik Bridge in Nawngkhio township into Nawng Ping Long village of Kyaukme township. Three shells landed in Quarter 3, killing a woman in Kyaukme Market who was selling meat. One shell landed in Quarter 1, three shells landed in Quarter 2, and another shell landed on the railway road in Quarter 4, damaging several houses.
On July 26, at 5 pm, a SAC jet fighter dropped bombs on the Shwe Leik Pya Hotel, in Kyat Pyi Yap Quarter of Mogok town, killing one civilian, injuring five other civilians and damaging several houses.
On July 29, between 9 and 10 am, a SAC jet fighter dropped three 500-pound bombs and two 250-pound bombs on QR Hotel and Mintatar quarter, in the eastern part of Mogok town, killing four civilians, injuring nine other civilians, and damaging eighteen houses.
On July 29, at 5 pm, a SAC aircraft dropped a 250-pound bomb on Kanni quarter of Mong Long town, northern Kyaukme township, which damaged seven houses and killed one man. At about 5:30 pm SAC jet fighter dropped a 250-pound bomb at Palong Gone in Kyaukme town, killing one civilian and injuring five other civilians.
On July 30, at 1 am, SAC aircraft dropped two 250-pound bombs on Quarter 2, in Kutkhai town, damaging two houses and the Yar Suthit Hotel, killing seven civilians (one child, four men and two women) and injuring thirteen other civilians.
On July 30, at 2:30 pm, SAC troops fired nine artillery shells from Goke Hteik Bridge in Nawngkhio into Nawng Ping village, Kyaukme township. The shells damaged a temple (where IDPs were sheltering) and several houses, killing one novice and injuring five other novices.
On July 30, fighting broke out between SAC and TNLA troops at Ho Kho village in Nawngkhio township. A SAC jet fighter dropped two bombs, and SAC troops fired ten shells and two drones dropped bombs into Ho Kho village, killing one woman and damaging two houses.
On July 31, at 9 am, SAC troops in Nawngkhio fired shells into Pang Tueng village in Nawng Ping tract, Kyaukme township. The shells damaged Pang Tueng temple, but fortunately there were no casualties.
On July 31, at 9 am, a SAC jet fighter dropped two 250-pound bombs into Toe Pin village in Nawngkhio township, killing one woman aged 32, injuring a 42-year-old man and a 68-year-old woman, and damaging eight houses and a car.
On August 2, at 8:30 am, a SAC jet fighter dropped two 500-pound bombs on Aungsukha Quarter and Gaung Ubar village section of Mogok town, killing twelve civilians, including one monk, injuring thirteen other civilians, and damaging ten houses, three cars and three motorcycles.
On August 3, at 3 pm, SAC aircraft dropped four bombs on the northern outskirts of Hsipaw town. Three bombs dropped on the former SAC IB 23 base near Tong Chang village and one bomb dropped on Wan Mai village, damaging some buildings.
On August 4, at 10:30 am, a SAC jet fighter dropped two 500-pound bombs on Quarter 6 of Kyaukme town, near the railway station, injuring three civilians and damaging a private school, a clinic and ten houses.
Currently more than 10,000 IDPs, newly displaced from Nawngkhio and Kyaukme townships, are sheltering in nearby areas, and facing great hardship.
Contact:
Sai Hor Hseng +66 94 728 6696 Signal (Shan, English)
Ying Leng Harn +1 825 425 4099 Signal (Burmese)
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