The Military Council’s troops have been carrying out violent assaults and shelling on multiple villages in Shwegyin Township, located in the Bago Region, since March 8th, forcing over 6000 individuals to flee their homes, according to locals.

Among over 6000 displaced individuals, over 1000 have sought refuge in Shwegyin. However, the remainder are currently wandering in the surrounding villages and are in dire need of food and other forms of assistance.

Following the infiltration of Military Council troops into the region, they established their presence in Pazun Myaung village on the western bank of the Sittaung River.

From there they indiscriminately fired artillery towards the villages of Nyaung Pin Gyi, That Ke Kone, Sat Su, and San Phe, located on the opposite side of the river.

Tragically, a woman from Nyaung Pin Gyi village lost her life in the attack, and two other women as well as a 15-year-old girl inflicted injuries, a local said.

A local told KIC “ On March 12 th the troops marched towards Wi Kyun and Thite Tu villages, where they set fire to a house before raiding In Balar and other villages along the river.”

Another resident recounted that an operation was carried out on the 12th of March by the Military Council troops in Inn Balar village, resulting in the tragic deaths of four villagers due to small arms fire.

The local recounted, “After entering the village with a large force, they mercilessly shot and killed four innocent villagers. The shelling that followed forced the remaining residents to flee for their lives, seeking refuge in nearby villages and rural areas where they had relatives.”.

In a separate incident, on March 8th, the Military Council unleashed artillery shells that landed and exploded in Wi Kyun and Thite Tu villages located in Shwegyin Township, causing injuries to three village men, from a statement made by The Karen National Union (KNU) Central Command.