The Junta Conceals the Casualty Count from Thanlwin Bridge Explosion
According to Hpa-An residents close to the Military Council, the real casualty figures from a bomb blast that occurred at the Junta checkpoint on the edge of Thanlwin Bridge in Tayokehla village, Hpa-An Township, Karen State, have been concealed from the public.
A source told KIC, “The Military Council’s distorted narrative following the Thanlwin Bridge explosion falsely claimed ‘one civilian killed and seven soldiers injured,’ butfirst hand witnesses revealed a total of at least five soldiers, police and immigration officials, lost their lives at the scene,’ while severe injuries necessitated the transfer of some individuals to Taungkalay Hospital”.
According to a person close to his family, 45-year-old Ko Kyaw Zin Lwin, who lived at the foot of Mount Zwegabin, was the only confirmed civilian killed in the blast, and he was laid to rest in his native village’s cemetery.
The KIC is actively investigating the real facts surrounding the casualties of soldiers and police under the Military Council.
“A tricycle driver delivering goods to the market lost his life, and the explosion’s impact also struck 20 civilians and uniformed personnel at the checkpoint, leaving behind evident devastation that reveals the gravity of the blast. Taungkalay Hospital received severely injured patients, including those in critical condition. Yet, the Military Council’s secrecy shrouded the true extent of casualties, making it very difficult for families to make funeral arrangements, “ a source close to the deceased’s family said.
Following the bombing, the passage to Thanlwin Bridge has been restricted daily from 6:00 am – 7:00 pm since July 31st.
Despite attempts by KIC to reach out to officials of the Military Council in Karen State regarding the bombing, there has been no response, and the incident remains unacknowledged by the Military Council’s information officers.
According to residents since the coup, resistance forces have launched more than 10 attacks on the Military Council troops stationed throughout Hpa-An’s inner and outer township areas.
In various townships within Karen State, clashes with the Karen National Liberation Army resulted in the death of a certain number of Military Council troops, the capture or abandonment of military camps, however the Military Council’s information department seldom disclosed specific details on these events.
At present, repair work is underway at the bomb explosion site, security forces have been bolstered, and there is heightened scrutiny and stricter interrogation of passers-by, compared to before.
