A Buddhist monk was killed instantly, and a displaced woman later died after heavy artillery shells struck eastern Mongkut (Mogok), a town on the border of Shan State and Mandalay Region, according to local residents.

At around 8:30 a.m. on January 4—Myanmar’s Independence Day—artillery rounds hit Yadanar Thiri Monastery and High School No. 4 in Lel Oo Ward, eastern Mongkut, an area where military regime troops had recently re-established their presence.

Residents said a monk from Yadanar Thiri Monastery was struck directly and died at the scene. A displaced woman and a child living near the monastery and the school were also wounded by shrapnel. The woman later succumbed to her injuries, while the child’s condition remains unconfirmed.

“The heavy artillery hit the monastery in Lel Oo Ward and also landed at the school in front of it,” a local man told SHAN. “A monk from Yadanar Thiri was killed, and a woman and a child living beside the compound were injured. The woman died. There was no clash with the PDF yesterday.”

Residents noted that junta troops had occupied the monastery until just a few days before the incident. Some locals believe the military may have launched drone bombs after withdrawing from the site in an attempt to frame the People’s Defense Force (PDF) and damage its reputation.

In contrast, pro-military Telegram channels claimed that PDF forces fired short-range rockets at the monastery in Lel Oo Ward, killing a monk and a civilian. These claims could not be independently verified.

In a separate incident on the same day, shortly after midnight, a regime jet fighter reportedly bombed a guesthouse in Mabein, a town currently under the control of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA). Civilian casualties were reported, and SHAN is continuing to investigate the details.

Following Chinese mediation, thousands of military commission troops re-entered Mongkut and neighboring Mongmit (Momeik) starting on November 29, 2025, prompting the withdrawal of the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA).

On November 30, the military began establishing bases toward the outskirts of western Mogok, where PDF units remain active, leading to renewed clashes and airstrikes.

The Ministry of Defense under the National Unity Government (NUG) announced the formation of the Mongkut–Mongmit Regional Operations Command on November 9. Since then, frequent skirmishes, artillery fire, and drone attacks have continued between PDF forces and the military commission in the area.