A man was shot and killed in the Burma-China border town of Muse in northern Shan State on Thursday morning, local sources said. 

Three as-yet unidentified gunmen murdered Soe Maung, who worked as a backhoe driver near Mingalar Muse, at around 9:30 a.m. He died later while receiving medical care.  

“He was not killed on the spot. He died one hour after he arrived at the hospital. We are yet to know who the gunmen are,” Thuang Tun, who works with the Muse Garuna social assistance organization, told SHAN. 

SHAN reached out to the Muse Myoma police station, where an officer confirmed the incident. 

“We could not catch the gunmen,” the police officer said. 

The victim, Soe Maung, was from Kyaukme Township, and was reportedly the former head of Mong Ting village. 

The motive for the murder remains unknown. 

As the scene of the crime is near the Chinese border, locals say that the perpetrators may have already fled the country.