One civilian was killed and 25 were injured due to landmines within one month in northern Shan State, according to locals.
After the temporary suspension of the Operation 1027, landmines in Muse, Namkham, Lashio, Thipaw, Namtu, Namsan, Mantong, and Kokang areas in northern Shan State caused deaths and injuries in January.
“The fighting has calmed down, but the people fear landmines. They don’t dare go to farms or theirworkplace. This is also a kind of trouble,” said a resident from Muse.
As a result of the landmine explosion, one woman was killed in Namkhan Town, four men and one woman were injured in Thipaw Town, three men in Namtu Town, one man in Namsan Town, one man in Mantong Town, three men and two women in Lashio Town, three men in Kokang, and seven men in Muse Town were injured.
As the landmines exploded in the areas where the Northern Three Brotherhood Alliance and the Junta Army fought and in the villages near the junta’s camps, those people were injured.
“Even though battles to seize towns is over, there are many things that need to be repaired—houses, monasteries, and roads. But the most important thing to do is to clean up the leftovers of landmines and weapons,” said a woman from Muse.
After the military coup in Myanmar, more than 1,300 people have died due to landmines and explosive remnants of military equipment, according to the Landmine and Cluster Munition Monitor team.