SHAN STATE, Myanmar - According to a military source and a representative of a local rescue organization, a bomb explosion left two people dead and more than a dozen others injured on Wednesday in the town of Lashio in the northern Shan State.

An anonymous military source spoke to the press on condition of anonymity. It said, "According to the initial report, two men were killed and 20 others were injured by a blast" at around 6 p.m. outside Lashio.

According to the source, a bomb planted on a motorbike also damaged a nearby passenger bus. Authorities in the area said they were investigating the case.

Two people were killed and 20 injured in the explosion, a member of the local rescue group told the press while requesting anonymity.

They reported that one body had been discovered inside the bus, carrying about 30 people, when it was struck.

According to local media reports, the explosion at a nearby Denko petrol station also caused damage to the station and other buses parked there.

Parts of northern Shan State close to the Chinese border have recently been rocked by fighting between the military and a coalition of anti-coup fighters and ethnic rebels.

The Ta'ang National Liberation Front, a well-known ethnic rebel organization operating in the region, denied responsibility for the explosion, according to a spokesperson.

Since the military overthrew the government in February 2021, there have been almost daily bombings and targeted killings in Myanmar as the military and the opponents engage in combat.