Three people died and another 13 were injured by gunfire at the junta checkpoint of Kinpun Sa Khan at the foot of Kyaiktiyo Pagoda (the Golden Rock), a popular tourist attraction in Mon State.

According to locals, an unidentified armed group attacked the soldiers manning the checkpoint at about 10:00 a.m. on 12 October. The soldiers responded by firing continuously.

A representative of a local social aid organisation said to Mizzima: “Now there are eight men and five women who have been injured, there were also three fatalities, they were women.”

According to locals the dead and injured were taken to Kinpun Chaung local hospital where the injured are receiving treatment.

“We can’t verify whether the injured are from the military or are civilians”, said another local.

Kyaiktiyo Pagoda, also known as the Golden Rock, in Mon State, is a popular destination for Buddhist pilgrims and tourists. It is a pagoda t built on top of a granite rock that appears to be precariously balanced on the edge of a hill and has been covered in gold leaf by male devotees