checkpoint operated by military forces and Min Zin Thant militia members, gunshots were heard at around 3:00 p.m. on April 22, 2026. Funeral assistance members told KHRW that he was shot and killed. The victim was identified as being around 25 years old, an ethnic Chin man, married with a two-year-old child. Reports stated that he suffered two gunshot wounds to the chest. Residents from nearby wards and villages helped transport the body, and a local social welfare group in Hpakant assisted with funeral arrangements and transported the body to the cemetery. It was also stated that military forces had entered villages and taken positions in elevated civilian houses, reportedly using security reasons as justification. At present, Min Zin Thant militia groups continue to be stationed in many areas inside and outside Lone Khin village. Local residents reportedly face frequent questioning, phone and vehicle checks, arbitrary arrests, ill-treatment, and forced entry into homes by security forces and militia members. In addition, beginning on April 21, 2026, the KIA/KIO reportedly issued restrictions on travel along the Nant Yar–Karmaing (Hpakant road) route. In Hpakant Township, Kachin State, the Northern Regional Military Command (Pa Ma Kha) commander, Major General Aung Zaw Htwe, and the Minister for Security and Border Affairs, Colonel Kyaw Thu Ya, together with military divisions operating in the area (Infantry Divisions 33, 77, and 99 in the battle zones of Hwe Kha, Lone Khin, and Hpakant), along with Brigadier General Win Ko Ko (commander of the Hpakant strategic base), ground operation commander Major Thet Paing Htun, and Colonel Wai Yan Soe (G-1 of Hpakant command), and juntabacked militia groups, have reportedly carried out operations involving searches and questioning in mining areas and wards. They reportedly conduct inspections in public areas and detain young people suspected of involvement, using accusations to confiscate phones, vehicles, and other belongings. The militias are supported and supplied by the junta forces and are said to be involved in discriminatory practices based on ethnicity and religion. There are reports that they receive military assistance, including air support, weapons technology, logistics, and financial resources, in efforts to reassert control over Hpakant. It is further reported that junta-backed militia groups frequently arrest and take civilians away from public areas, leading to repeated incidents of shootings. Some detainees are accused of being KIA members and are subjected to torture, including binding and other forms of abuse. 25 | "Inhumane Acts" by KHRW