By Nway / MPA
Rebel forces in northern Myanmar have encircled a key police station in Kachin State’s Hpakant Township, following a coordinated offensive against multiple military outposts that left six civilians—including four children—injured by artillery fire.
At approximately 02:00 local time on Saturday, 14 February, a coalition of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the Kachin People’s Defence Force (KPDF) launched simultaneous attacks using heavy artillery, small arms, and drones.
The coordinated assault targeted the Hpakant strategic command base, the Lone Khin territorial police station, and military deployments in the villages of Htone Bo, Thilashin Kone, and Ah Mhaik Pone.
Fighting raged until 07:00 before a temporary lull allowed both sides to regroup and civilians to flee. Clashes subsequently resumed at 15:00 and continued into the evening.
“They blocked off key areas and shelled the Hpakant strategic hill, but the main target was the Lone Khin police station,” a local military affairs source told the Myanmar Pressphoto Agency (MPA) on Saturday evening. “The attacks on the surrounding camps were designed to cut off artillery support and reinforcements. The primary objective is to capture the police station.”
According to the source, the Lone Khin police base is now effectively at the mercy of the KIA-led coalition.
“They can take it whenever they choose. The only reason they haven’t seized it completely is because they are wary of military airstrikes,” the source added. “It’s in their hands; they have completely surrounded the area.”
The escalation marks a significant turning point in the Hpakant clashes, which began on 30 January following a military council offensive. The KIA and its allies appear to have now shifted from a defensive posture to a full-scale counter-offensive.
The intense fighting has already taken a toll on the civilian population. At around 16:30 on Saturday, an artillery shell fired by military council forces struck a children’s dormitory at a Chinese language school in Lone Khin village.
Six civilians, including four children who were eating a meal at the time, were injured in the strike.
