The junta launched airstrikes in and around Kalay Pho Kalo Village, located in Paingkyon Township, Hpa-An District of the Karen National Union (KNU), forcing its residents and those from nearby villages to flee to the Thai border and other safe areas.
During the last week of February, soldiers stationed at a junta camp near Kalay Pho Kalo Village clashed with the KNU’s armed wing, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)-led resistance coalition. In response, the junta launched airstrikes on the area—two on February 25 and another on February 27.
Villagers from Kalay Pho Kalo evacuated when the clashes erupted, while residents of nearby villages started fleeing as the airstrikes began.
“We, Kalay Pho Kalo residents, had already evacuated when the gunfire started, while those in nearby villages fled only after the airstrikes began. On the morning of February 27, aircraft bombed villages near the junta base, but by then, the locals had already left, leaving the targeted areas empty,” a woman from Kalay Pho Kalo Village told KIC.
In addition to the residents of Kalay Pho Kalo, villagers from Kalay Mokhee and Mae Kae have sought refuge in Noboe Village on the Thai side due to the junta's airstrikes, prompting Thai authorities to conduct checks on houses where Myanmar war-displaced people are sheltering.
According to displaced Kalay Pho Kalo villagers, the food and accommodation needs of war-displaced people are currently being met with support from local Christian organizations.
As a result of the aforementioned junta airstrikes in the KNU Brigade 7 territory bordering Thailand, not only have local villages been evacuated, but some Kawthoolei schools have been forced to shut down, while nearby residents, who have not yet been directly affected by the war, are living with heightened caution.
“These days, the sounds of aircraft flying over the area are frequently heard. On the morning of February 27, we heard a loud noise from an aircraft followed by a bomb dropping. The village school was immediately closed, and the children were sent home. The bombing occurred near our village, and we were all scared,” said a resident of Maw Pae Kho Village in Hpa-An District.
In March 2024, the KNLA-led coalition captured the junta's Yin Kwe Taung military base in Nabu Township, Hpa-An District, under the KNU. At the time, locals expressed concern that the KNLA might open new fronts, potentially escalating military tensions.
