In southern Myanmar, a military column consisting of approximately 200 junta soldiers has been advancing through Kyunsu Town in Tanintharyi Township, Tanintharyi Region. This escalation has prompted thousands of residents to seek safety.

Following reports of the junta’s movement, residents of several nearby villages began fleeing. According to a local woman aiding displaced individuals, the junta column reached Lelthit Village in Kyunsu on July 19.

She described the situation, stating, "The military column was advancing toward the local villages. Fearing harm from the soldiers, the villagers fled their homes and sought refuge in forested areas, even amid heavy rains. Whenever the junta troops arrived in the villages, they would arrest the villagers and use them as guides or human shields. As a result, the villagers fled in advance. Until yesterday, the sound of artillery shelling was heard around the villages, but no one has dared to return, so the exact situation remains unknown.”

During their advance toward Lelthit Village, the junta forces engaged in indiscriminate small arms fire and mortar shelling. This violence caused residents from ten nearby villages, including Baethit, Waryit, Mingoke, and Maunghlaw, to evacuate to safer areas.

The column’s route has seen clashes with resistance factions in Tanintharyi Township. On July 21, the 261st Light Infantry Battalion reportedly used artillery to bombard the path of the advancing column, aiming to clear the way.

A local, who chose to remain anonymous, commented on the heightened military tensions, saying, “The military situation remains tense. The 261st Light Infantry Battalion has used artillery to bombard the route of the advancing column in an effort to clear the way.”

In Tanintharyi Region, nearly 60000 individuals have been displaced due to ongoing military operations and clashes between the opposing sides. Many of those displaced are women, who urgently need women’s hygiene products, clothing, and healthcare support.