Regime troops Injure 3 Civilians during combat operations
During combat operations, hundreds of the Military Council troops fired artillery shells and small arms on villages in Mone Township, Nyaunglebin District, in the territory of the Karen National Union (KNU) 3rd Brigade. As a result, three civilians were injured.
According to the KNU, On July 2, around 4:00 a.m., Military Council troops entered Yaetwinkonegyi village and opened fire with small arms on the remaining local residents causing injuries to two local men, aged 40 and 31.
According to a local resident in Mone township, on the morning of July 3, a man from Ohnpinsu village was injured by shrapnel from an artillery shell fired by the Military Council’s battalion in Natthankwin village. He told KIC “Artillery shells were fired from Natthankwin village towards villages in Mone Township, continuing until this morning. The military positioned in Yaetwinkone village also engaged in small arms fire. As a result, the residents of Yaetwinkone were forced to flee. The people from nearby villages similarly sought refuge, fearing for their safety.”
According to the statement released by the Karen National Union (KNU), and the accounts of local residents, at least 30 artillery shells fired by the Military Council which resulted in damage to
four civilian homes in Yaetwinkonegyi and Okeshitkone villages. Furthermore, over 1,400 local residents from nearby villages have been forced to flee their homes in response to the escalating situation.
A local woman, who did not want to be named said, “I heard that the military is currently reinforcing its presence in Kyauktaga and Kyungyi. There have been reports of tank deployments, but no combat operations have taken place yet. Throughout the night, I heard that artillery shells were fired.”
In early June, prior to the KNLA joint forces launching a simultaneous attack on five Military Council camps near Natthankwin village, the troops of the Military Council had entered Yaetwinkonegyi village, forcing the entire village to flee.
On June 24, in Kyauktaga township, an artillery shell fired by the Military Council troops caused a tragic incident, leading to the loss of four lives from two villages.
According to the Karen Human Rights Organization (KHRG), from February 2021, when the military seized power, until May 2023, a total of 38 civilians, including men, women, elderly individuals, and children, lost their lives in the Nyaunglebin district as a result of armed conflicts. Additionally, 61 individuals sustained injuries during this period
