The Burmese Army in an inhuman act burnt down Thadar Del village in Lu Thaw Township, Phapun district. The village was set on fire by a column of the army at 2:30 pm on July 23 afternoon, a local said.

"Troops arrived at the Thadar Del village and set on fire the whole village at 2:30 pm. Before entering the village, they fired motor shells into the village. Villagers escaped the shelling," a villager said.

Burmese Army soldiers and battalions under KNU Brigade 5 had running gun battles around the village area on July 23. After the clash, junta’s forces fired mortar shells into Thadar Del village. Because of the shelling, villagers fled from the village, Maj. Saw Kaleldo of KNU Brigade 5 said.

"We exchanged gunfire with junta’s forces yesterday. Then they fired mortar shells into Thadar Del village. Villagers fled and nobody was left in the village. The army column came to the village and burnt it down," Maj. Saw Kaledo told KIC.

The military column, which set fire to the village, is yet to be identified as to which battalion it belongs to. Locals believe the column could belong to a battalion under the junta’s Military Operation Command (MOC) 21 because these forces were patrolling the area.

Junta forces have patrolled the area in an unusually special military operation this month. A medical in-charge in this area said that burning down the village could be part of the special military operation.

Villagers are now heading for the jungle. It's learnt that the backpack health worker’s team (BPHWT) is preparing to provide medicines to the villagers fighting for survival in the jungle during the rainy season.

Thadar Del village is near the Burmese Army military camp and also on the patrol route of the military column. The military column was in the village till last information received this evening.

Thadar Del village had about 50 houses with 500 people. Thadar Del village is located 40 miles north of Phapun town. The village is in the controlled area of KNU as well as in the patrol area of Burmese Army battalions under MOC 21.

Three Thadar Del villagers were killed by junta forces without reason in the paddy field near the village in 2006.