■ Artillery explosion kills about 30 people in a village near KIA headquarters

■ SAC spokesperson says the military has not fired on any group's headquarters

Around 30 people, including children and women, have reportedly been killed when a heavy artillery shell fell and exploded on the night of October 9 in the village of Monlaikhat, near the Laiza headquarters of Kachin Independence Organization/Kachin Independence Army (KIO/KIA) in Kachin State.

More than 50 people were wounded during the explosion. The village is home to war refugees coming from elsewhere since 2011 and those from other villages displaced by fighting this year, some local news outlets reported.

Regarding the incident, there are reports of artillery explosions on social networking sites as well as reports of an air strike.

According to KIA spokesperson Colonel Naw Bu’s reply to BBC news agency, Monlaikhat Village is only about two miles from the headquarters of Liza, and there is no military base there. Eleven Media is contacting Col Naw Bu, but no contact has been received.

Regarding the incident, Major General Zaw Min Tun, spokesperson for the State Administration Council (SAC), told the media that the Tatmadaw (military) did not fire and has not fired on any group's headquarters. 

"We are still investigating the news about Liza. One thing is that we are always maintaining border peace and stability. I want you to consider whether it was possible for us to conduct bombings or fire heavy weapons at the place near the border in the dark night. We've already said that the Tatmadaw was able to attack and fire on any headquarters of the insurgents. But I have said we didn’t,” Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun said.

He also said that the military had seen inaccurate statements about the explosion at KIA headquarters in Liza, making accusations that the army carried out an air strike or fired heavy weapons.

He further said: "There are a wide variety of reports, and the organization (KIA) itself is reporting a variety of information. The Tatmadaw carried out an air strike. The Tatmadaw fired heavy weapons. One thing I can tell you exactly is that the site of the explosion is the place where the KIA is using UAVs and unmanned aircraft to carry out drop bomb attacks on the military camps.”

Maj-Gen Zaw Min added that the military is still investigating the explosion, and that an explosion did occur at a KIA's ammunition warehouse near Liza in the past. Therefore, a similar case might have happened now, he commented.

"Now it can also be reviewed that the storage of our drops bombs might have exploded, but we are still investigating the on-ground news," said the major general said.

On October 23, 2022, the military reported that it carried out a counter-attack on the headquarters of KIA Brigade No.9. Some PDFs (people’s defence forces) and the commander and deputy commander of the KIA brigade were killed in the attack.