Both the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and the junta have been abducting men fleeing fighting in Bhamo City in Kachin State and forcing them to serve in their armies. 50,000 people have fled Bhamo City since a coalition of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and people’s defence forces (PDFs) launched an offensive against the junta in the town on 4 December 2024. The people of Bhamo City, the second largest city in Kachin State were unprepared for the offensive, but most of the inhabitants have already fled.