A woman was seriously injured by shrapnel during the conflict between the military and the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army in northern Shan State.

Nan Bawk from Pangsai (Kyukok) in Muse District was taken to a hospital in Mandalay for surgery after shrapnel from a shell penetrated her chest during fighting on 23 October. The woman has three children and works as a teacher at a school sponsored by a church in the town.

“She was sent to the hospital in Muse, but there wasn’t enough medical equipment to operate on her. So she was transferred to Mandalay where her condition is critical,” a man from Pangsai told SHAN.

He said the fighting has stopped, but they didn’t know when it would flare up again.”We’re very afraid because the armed groups have used heavy weapons in the recent clash.”

On 18 October, an elderly man was killed in the fighting in Pangsai, where violence has been recurring for months.