Mizzima

Myanmar junta artillery fire killed a five-year-old boy and injured three of his family members in Kalay Township, in Sagaing Region at about 9:30 p.m. on 21 June.

Junta soldiers from Regional Operations Command (Kalay) stationed in the western part of Kalay Township fired 120mm mortar shells into East Santha Village in the southern part of Kalay Township.

According to witnesses, the five-year-old’s head was blown off, his seven-year-old brother suffered a serious head injury, his 12-year-old sister was seriously injured and their mother lost her right leg below the knee.

The three victims are currently receiving emergency medical treatment at Kalay Hospital, according to Kalay Township news sources.

A member of the Kalay People’s Defence force (PDF) said: “We believe that Military Council troops are deliberately targeting villages and civilian areas. They are firing artillery when there is no fighting with local resistance forces.” 

He also said that there had been no resistance forces stationed in East Santha Village and the junta had deliberately tried to injure civilians by firing into areas where they knew there were only civilians.

Also, early in the morning of the previous day, 20 June, a 20-year-old man was killed when a junta artillery shell landed on nearby Thasi Village, also in southern Kalay Township.