Kantarawaddy Times
While Deputy Commander-in-Chief Soe Win was visiting Loikaw, the military junta carried out airstrikes near Padanyay and Phayarni villages in Loikaw Township on the night of January 14, according to reports.
During the 73rd Kayah State Day celebration, heavy artillery attacks were also conducted alongside the airstrikes. However, U Ba Nyar, Deputy Secretary-2 of the Interim Executive Council (IEC) of Karenni State, said detailed information regarding these attacks is not yet available.
“Most of the attacks targeted the area around Phayarni and PadaNyay, near Moebye on the western outskirts of Loikaw. Airstrikes hit Phayarni, and artillery shells were fired, but we don’t have specific details yet,” U Ba Nyar stated.
Colonel Phone Naing, Military Chief of the Karenni Army (KA), confirmed that two bombs were dropped by junta fighter jets, but there were no casualties. He also noted that the attacks targeted areas with civilian populations.
“Yesterday, fighter jets dropped two bombs near Phayarni village and three bombs to the east of Padanyay village. Fortunately, there were no injuries,” Colonel Phone Naing said.
Before the airstrikes, the Brave Warriors for Myanmar (BWM) had launched short-range rocket attacks on two locations in Loikaw. In response, the junta fired artillery shells, according to a BWM statement.
The artillery shells reportedly landed in areas around Loikaw, western Dee Maw Hso Township, and near the Moebye border. One male displaced civilian was killed by the artillery shelling, according to Job For Kayah, a local organization assisting internally displaced persons (IDPs). However, Kantarawaddy Times has not yet independently confirmed the details of the artillery strikes or the civilian casualties.
As of January 15, 2025, the junta has conducted at least ten airstrikes in seven locations in Karenni State, including Loikaw, western Dee Maw Hso Township, and the Shan-Karenni border area in Phekhon Township, targeting villages such as Pekin, LaEi, and HanBu.
