On Wednesday morning, soldiers from Light Infantry Battalion 537 opened fire on civilians on a motorcycle in front of a restaurant in Mark Lang in Laikha Township, southern Shan State.

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A local man said, “I heard that Burma army soldiers tried to stop two local men at a checkpoint. When they didn’t stop, the soldiers shot them.” One man was killed on the spot, and the other was wounded.

“I don’t know what the soldiers did to the deceased’s body. The injured man was sent to the hospital in Laikha,” the source said.

Amid heightened tension between the Burma army and Shan State Progress Party/Shan State Army (SSPP/SSA), locals are afraid to inquire about the shooting, he explained.

“I think the two men were displaced (by the conflict) and were returning to see what’s become of their home.”

SSPP/SSA fought with the regime forces multiple times in Laikha Township on 6 August, causing some civilians to flee their homes. After the clashes, both groups sent reinforcements to the township, while the Burma army has blocked the entrance of villages, trapping other residents in their homes. At the same time, it has flown jet fighters and airships over the conflict zones and around the township. None of the villagers who fled the conflict have been able to return home.