Junta airstrikes on 12 and 13 February forced more than 5,000 people to flee their homes in villages on the Kale Township section of the Kale to Gangaw road in Sagaing Region.

A Kale Township resident said to Chin World: “In these airstrikes, jet fighters usually appear for a short time and then turn around, but the Y-12 utility aircraft circle over villages for longer and drops many bombs. This aircraft carries small bombs that are dropped by hand, releasing between 30 and 50 bombs in each [attack] round. After each airstrike, it returns to Kale Airport to reload and then takes off again for another round. Many villages in southern Kale Township have already been bombed this way, but the exact number of casualties is still unknown.”

The attacks, which happen both during the day and at night, have targeted the northern section of the Kale to Gangaw Road from Kale to the border between Sagaing and Magway regions.

The junta’s widespread airstrikes on villages along that section of the Kale to Gangaw road have caused their residents to take refuge in nearby forests. The displaced villagers say that they must exercise caution whilst they are sheltering in the forest as the junta aircraft will often drop bombs on areas of the forest where they see smoke rising from cooking fires.

The junta started launching the airstrikes on 12 February after fighting broke out between junta and resistance forces on 11 February near to Kmbarni Bridge on the Kale to Gangaw Road, near to Kale Township’s Setaw Village, close to the border with Magway Region.

As well as launching airstrikes in the area of Kmbarni Bridge the junta has also been airlifting troops there.

At least 10 villages along the highway between Kale Town and Setaw Village have been hit by the recent junta airstrikes. Most of their residents have taken refuge in nearby forested areas.