Kantarawaddy Times
During a visit to Loikaw, Karenni State—a region currently experiencing conflict—Military Council Leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing was targeted by artillery attacks from resistance forces, according to a spokesperson for the Karenni Nationalilities Defense Force (KNDF).
“When the Military Council leader arrived in Loikaw, resistance forces launched artillery attacks to Loikaw. However, I cannot provide specific details about the targeted locations,” said the spokesperson.
The attack occurred on September 4th, during Min Aung Hlaing’s visit to Loikaw. KNDF has not provided details about the extent of the damage or any casualties resulting from the attack.
Some pro-junta channels reported that an artillery shell landed near the religious state buildings (Tartanar Binmar) in Loikaw;howevever, stated that there were no casualties.
During his visit, the military leader urged his subordinates to ensure the successful collection of population and household data through a nationwide census. He also emphasized the importance of restoring normalcy as quickly as possible, according to an announcement made by MRTV.
According to Colonel Bone Naing, Military Chief of the Karenni Army (KA), the purpose of Min Aung Hlaing’s visit was to rally support for conducting an election. Additionally, there has been an increase in military presence around Loikaw.
“The primary goal is to facilitate the census. Beyond that, they are working to create conditions under which elections can be held, thereby legitimizing the process,” Colonel Bone Naing commented.
The military leader arrived in Loikaw by air and first visited the Regional Command Headquarters in Loikaw to inspect ongoing security operations, as reported by MRTV on the evening of September 4th. Following that, he held a meeting at the State Hall, where he claimed that the disruption of peace and development in the region was being caused by local residents themselves. He also urged the locals to participate in rebuilding efforts.
“In light of the ongoing sabotage activities carried out by certain groups, I call on the public to actively prevent such acts. Since resistance forces have taken shelter in residential areas, I urge the public to avoid such groups, as this will allow our operations to proceed more swiftly,” the military leader stated.
While the military council claimed that the visit involved meetings with government officials, departmental staff, and local residents, a resident of Loikaw noted that the so-called “locals” were mostly military personnel and their families who attended the meeting. The actual townspeople were unaware of these meetings.
“We didn’t know about any public meeting at the State Hall. Even when traveling on the main Union Road, they blocked it off and didn’t let anyone pass. Security was extremely tight, more so than usual. I only found out that Min Aung Hlaing was in town after the news broke,” the resident stated.
During the 1111 military operation lunched by the karenni resistace forces in Loikaw, the Military Council’s forces conducted airstrikes, drone attacks, and artillery bombardments, causing significant damage and fires in various residential areas of the town. However, the military leader blamed these destructions on the resistance forces, stating that lessons would be learned from the situation to restore normalcy.
