Fighting continues between ethnic armed organizations in northern Shan State’s Namtu Township as the public is engaged in nationwide protests against the military coup council currently ruling Myanmar.

The Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS) has had clashes with joint forces belonging to the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) near Mansam village in Namtu from early December 2020 until the time of reporting.

Shells landed near Mansam at around 4:00 p.m. on March 11. It was unknown which side fired them. While no one was injured, villagers in the area said they laid awake in fear throughout the night.

“They fired four to five rounds of heavy weapons at around 4:00 p.m. Four or five shells landed near our village. We heard the sound of gunfire until 11:00 p.m. We were concerned that shells would land on our homes,” a 50-year-old resident of Mansam said, adding that some homes were in fact damaged.

RCSS spokesperson Maj Kham Sam confirmed that the fighting with the TNLA and SSPP took place at four to five locations on March 11.

“We don’t know the number of casualties. Clashes are intensifying in the Mansam area,” he told SHAN.

Spokespersons from both the RCSS and TNLA told SHAN that negotiations to halt the fighting had not yet started.  

“We had clashes yesterday. We are ready to negotiate with them. At the moment we haven’t started any discussions about it,” TNLA spokesperson Maj Tar Aik Kyaw told SHAN.

One woman, who was pregnant at the time, and one man died during clashes between the ethnic armed organizations in Namtu Township in February. Three women suffered gunshot injuries in March.