Five civilians injured as artillery fire hits near Hpakant polling station on final election day

Mizzima

Five civilians were injured on 25 January, 2026, when an artillery shell exploded near a polling station in Hpakant in Kachin State during the final phase of Myanmar’s three-part general election.

“Shells have been landing around the polling station in Hpakant. So far, five people have been injured, though there have been no fatalities. Three people from Myoma Kalapgon Ward and two others from a grocery near Kanbawza Bank in Hnagpyawtaw Ward were hit by shrapnel while inside their homes. Social welfare groups transported the injured to a nearby clinic,” a local resident said.

The shell that landed in Hnagpyawtaw Ward reportedly exploded approximately 200 feet from the polling station, the resident added.

Despite the ongoing fire and reports of low voter turnout, junta authorities claimed that voting proceeded as planned. However, key access points including the bridge connecting Mashikahtaung Ward and Hpakant Myoma remained closed, and an explosion on the evening of 24 January reportedly destroyed a local power transformer.

“The bridge connecting Mashikahtaung Ward and Hpakant Myoma has been shut down, and all travel is prohibited. Voting is expected to take place around the strategic hill,” a local source said.

Hpakant Township consists of five wards, with polling stations located at Hnagpyawtaw High School Branch, Hpakant High School, Hmaw Wan High School Branch, and the middle school in Aye Mya Thar Yar Ward. Meanwhile, the area around Mashikahtaung Ward has been closed since 24 January, and it remains unclear whether voting will take place there, according to residents.

The violence in Hpakant underscores the security challenges of the final phase, which originally aimed to cover 63 townships but was reduced to 61 after the UEC cancelled voting in Mansi and Momauk earlier this week.

In Kachin State, the third phase specifically targeted Hpakant, Bhamo, and Shwegu townships all of which have seen intensified clashes between the military and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) in recent days. Just two days prior, on 23 January, a military airstrike on a funeral in neighbouring Bhamo Township killed 21 people, further deterring residents from public gatherings.