A pregnant woman, her husband and her mother were among five people killed when a shell landed in Kyaukme, Shan state, on Sunday.
The shell exploded in Kalaw Waing village at the home of Nan Sein Than, who was eight months pregnant.
“The baby died as well,” said Lon Sai, a local resident. “The entire family were killed, including her mother and her husband. The bodies are just there lying around, no one dares to go pick them up.”
The woman’s 30-year-old husband was called Sai Kyaw Khin and her mother, who was in her sixties, was called Nan Sein Pu. Two other elderly villagers, Daw Say and San Htay, also died.
After the explosion, over a thousand locals fled and took refuge in the nearby villages of Pan Sang and Kant Kang on the Kyaukme-Monglong road.
Five people were also injured and are receiving treatment at nearby clinics, the chairman of Pang Sang village said.
The incident came two days after a clash in the area between various armed groups against the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS). It is unclear who fired the shell that killed the villagers.
While much of the rest of the country has been preoccupied with the uprising against the new military regime, thousands of people from Kyaukme, Namtu and Hsipaw have fled their homes amid recent clashes.
It is unclear what sparked the latest bout of fighting, during which the armed wing of the Shan State Progress Party has teamed up with the Ta’ang National Liberation Army to fight the RCSS.
