In Mutraw (Hpapun) district, which is controlled by Karen National Union (KNU) 5th Brigade, the Military Council carried out two consecutive days of aerial bombardment, destroying many schools and residential buildings, Mutraw district news reported on February 16.

Regarding the airstrikes, KNU 5th Brigade spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Saw Kler Doh confirmed to KIC, “They bombed once on February 14. People took cover in advance, so no-one was hurt. A buffalo died. The next day they bombed people’s houses, barns, a school, a rice mill and tractors. No-one was hurt.”

At 11:30 p.m. on February 15, 7 schools, 6 deserted buildings, 3 shops and 2 barns were hit and burnt down by the Military Council soldiers in Htawthteepel village, Paykayde village-tract, Luthaw township, as the Military Council dropped 6 bombs with jet fighters, according to the KNU-Mutraw district press release.

In addition, 4 tractors, 2 motorcycles, 1 internet Wi-Fi satellite and a rice mill were hit and damaged. The total value of the damage was over 1000 lakh kyats, according to the Mutraw district press release.

At 9:00 p.m. on February 14, 3 Military Council jets dropped 6 bombs into Daybuno village in Luthaw township, hitting 6 deserted buildings and burning them down, according to KNU-Mutraw district news.

According to the statement of Mutraw (Hpapun) district, which is controlled by Karen National Union (KNU) 5th Brigade, during last January, the Military Council carried out 24 bombing attacks by jet fighters, killing 14 innocent people and injuring 11 people.

In addition to this, 52 homes of innocent people were hit and damaged, and dozens of houses were destroyed by fire, as well as 4 hospitals and 4 religious buildings were also destroyed by fire, according to a Muttaw district statement.

Pado Mahn Mahn, former KNU joint secretary-2, said, “The warplanes of the military council bombed our school directly. Also they hit our houses. I can’t make any special comment about this because this is just the normal behaviour of a terrorist military group that carries out terrorist activities.”

From the military coup in 2021 to 2023, nearly 400,000 local residents who have fled their homes including Mutraw district, and in all areas controlled by the KNU, due to human rights violations by the Military Council, ‌and the local people who are fleeing are in need of food aid, according to KNU’ s press release.