KIA-allied forces seize military outposts outside Shweku town, FPV drone bombs fall inside the town, and clashes may intensify

Intense clashes are ongoing between the State Administration Council forces and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) allied forces in Shweku Township, Kachin State, with the KIA reportedly seizing numerous military outposts outside the town. In recent clashes, the KIA seized a military outpost in Shwebonswin village on the evening of August 3rd and confiscated some weapons and ammunition. Furthermore, troops from the SAC forces have been forced to withdraw from many military outposts outside Shweku town, including the Shwebonswin outpost located between the Upper Lelayan and Lower Lelayan junctions. "What are believed to be drone bombs fell near Ngai Baw We. Some say they fell in the mud. We started hearing them around 9 PM," a Shweku news source told the Irrawaddy Times. Military tensions are rising within the town, and according to local residents and social media reports, at least three consecutive explosions, believed to be FPV drone bombs, occurred in several wards of Shweku town around 9 PM on August 6th. Some local residents have also reported that one of these explosions fell near a pagoda in Ngai Baw We. The SAC forces are conducting military operations using residential areas as shields, placing Shweku town in a situation where clashes could intensify at any time. Photo caption: KIA soldiers (archive photo)