Two Schoolchildren Among Three Injured in Hpakant During Shootout

 Two Schoolchildren Among Three Injured in Hpakant During Shootout

5 February, 2026

HPAKANT, Kachin State — Three civilians, including two 10-year-old schoolchildren, were injured during exchanges of fire between junta forces and KIA/KPDF troops in Hpakant, according to local residents.

The incident occurred on the morning of February 2. At around 3 a.m., heavy artillery shells landed and exploded in Ma Shi Ka Htaung Ward in Hpakant town, injuring a middle-aged man who was hit in both legs.

Later in the morning, at about 10 a.m., another artillery shell struck the KG building of Hpakant High School, injuring two 10-year-old students, identified as Maung Min Khant and Ma Ywal Dint. Several school buildings were also damaged in the blast.

Local sources said the artillery fire was launched from an area where clashes were ongoing along the Htone Bo–Jamkat road, between Ma Shi Ka Htaung Ward and the western side of Yuma village. However, it remains unclear which armed group fired the shell.

“We don’t know if it was fired from a drone or heavy artillery. It happened during the fighting, as both sides are using drones,” a Hpakant resident told People’s Radio Myanmar.

Local residents injured by the shelling are currently receiving medical treatment, according to sources. The explosion inside Hpakant High School occurred while students were sitting for their examinations.

Following the blast, worried parents rushed to the school to take their children home, locals said. Hpakant High School is one of the schools currently operating under the control of the junta authorities.

Fighting in the area began on January 30, when junta troops advanced toward Seikmu village, which is controlled by KIA/KPDF forces, in an attempt to retake the area. Clashes have continued since then and remain intense as of today, according to local sources.

“Seikmu village is controlled by revolutionary forces, and both KIA and KPDF already see it as their territory. They will not give it up easily. Fighting could spread beyond the Htone Bo area and become wider across Hpakant. The clashes are intense, with constant artillery fire,” the local resident said.

Until now, fighting between junta forces and joint KIA/KPDF troops remains intense in the Hpakant area, forcing the closure of the main Hpakant–Seikmu road and restricting travel on alternative routes to emergency cases only.