According to an official from the Bawlakhe People's Defense Force (BPDF), an airstrike near Wanbala Village in Bawlakhe Township on March 23 hit a timber industry site where eight civilians were working, resulting in the death of three individuals.

"Cars and houses were destroyed by fire. The houses were the houses of workers. Also, the cars were 10-wheels. Eight people were hit. Five were injured. One of the five was in critical condition," he said.

The official stated that the incident took place at approximately 1:30 p.m. and involved a fighter jet firing five times. The victims, all male workers in the timber industry and aged between 40 and 50, suffered injuries or were killed as a result of the airstrike.

He said that there was no fighting in that village and there had never been any fighting in the past. During an aerial bombardment, a bomb detonated in a nearby village, forcing the villagers to flee to the nearby forest for safety.

"At that time, there was no fighting at all. I think they bombed our camp. It was a situation where they bombed in the wrong place. They bombed where the villagers were. This is not a military target. This is not a place where a battle is taking place. This is just a situation where they came to a public place and bombed and threatened," added an official of the BPDF.

According to a report from Bawlakhe PDF, the military situation in the area remains tense following the conflict near Yaenipauk village on March 16. The Military Council has been firing artillery shells almost daily at Yaenipauk village and Mainghtan village, resulting in the destruction of around 20 houses and monasteries.

The area where the fighting occurred is over 20 kilometers away from Wanbala village, where the military council conducted an airstrike.