An attack by fighter jets killed two people and wounded another in a village in Demawso Township where many civilians fleeing the fighting have taken refuge, after the regime stepped up its bombing of civilians affected by the war in Karenni and Shan states.

According to the Karenni Nationalities Defence Force (KNDF) spokesperson, who’s still awaiting a detailed report, the first person was killed at 2am and the second at 7am and one civilian wounded during the attacks on Dor Yawk Khu on 11 March. The spokesperson told Kantarawaddy Times that there was no fighting in the area before the airstrike. After the bombing, everyone fled the village.

The KNDF has been fighting to overthrow the dictatorship since May with a consortium of other Karenni resistance groups.

The Burma Army (BA) also killed civilians and destroyed a church and people’s houses in recent airstrikes on Sawng Dular and Dor Ngan Hkar.

Since the junta launched a massive offensive around Mobye in neighbouring southern Shan State last month, airstrikes and ground attacks with tanks and armoured vehicles on resistance fighters and civilians in Demawso Township have increased to take more territory from the rebel groups and terrorise the population.

Internally displaced persons (IDPs) in western Hpruso Township in Karenni State are running out of food. According to an anonymous source in charge of an IDP camp, there’s less than a month’s worth of food. ”There’s almost nothing left,” he said, explaining that some have already run out of rice and many people are suffering from malnutrition. No one has a chance to grow anything after being on the run for so long.

One IDP told the Kantarawaddy Times that their “difficulties” are endless. ”We can’t afford to feed our children and worry about them getting sick,” she said. BA prevents food from reaching them and makes what’s available more expensive. Karenni relief organisations can only deliver food once a month because of the army and fighting with resistance groups.

Of the 300,000 inhabitants in Karenni state, nearly 180,000 are IDPs.