A civilian car was shot at by an unknown armed group while passing through a tollgate in Kutkai, northern Shan State on Tuesday morning, leaving the driver injured. 

The black Toyota Crown was on the road between Kutkai and Muse when it was fired on at around 10:30 a.m.

“A bullet hit his ear. Bullets passed through the rearview mirror. He was lucky because the bullet didn’t hit his head… the situation on the road is not good,” Ko Nay Myo, an eyewitness to the shooting, told SHAN. 

Clashes have been intensifying in the area between the Burma Army and joint forces belonging to the Arakan Army (AA), Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA). 

“Car tires are being attacked in these days. Many cars are trapped at the Kutkai tollgate,” driver Sai Kwan, who lives in Muse, said. 

According to Sai Kwan, the tires of eight trucks were shot at on Monday between Mangloi and Nam Phetlun on the Muse-Kutkai road in the evening. 

Drivers who regularly use the Muse-Mandalay highway have called on armed groups to “have mercy” for those who are traveling. 

The AA, MNDAA and TNLA released a joint statement on August 25 requesting that travelers and rescue teams seek information about the security situation before driving in northern Shan State.