Armed conflicts in Karenni (Kayah) State have surged dramatically over the past month, resulting in the confirmed deaths of at least 82 civilians, as reported by the Karenni Humanitarian Aid Initiative (KHAI).
Starting from November 11th, resistance forces initiated a major offensive with the aim of capturing towns in Karenni State, leading to intense clashes in Loikaw, Mobye (Mongpai) and Demoso townships. The Junta responded with indiscriminate shelling and airstrikes in these conflict zones, resulting in a rise in civilian casualties.
When the data is broken down into categories by KHAI : civilian fatalities attributed to the Military Council's artillery bombardments – 43 casualties from airstrikes-24 and deaths resulting from small arms fire-15 – total 82.
Lawrence Soe, spokesperson for the Karenni National People's Liberation Front (KNPLF), stated to the Than Lwin Times that the actions of the Military Council unmistakably demonstrate its treatment of unarmed civilians as the enemy, subjecting them to brutal attacks.
According to KHAI's announcement, the victims of the Military Council included 39 men, 18 women, 12 minors, 2 religious workers, and 11 individuals whose names, ages, and genders could not be confirmed.
The Karenni State Interim Executive Council (IEC) indicated that the actual civilian death toll in conflict-ridden towns might exceed the current reported figures, citing the difficulties challenges in communication.
Displaced individuals in Demoso reported that the Military Council conducted aerial bombardments and shelling on internally displaced people (IDP) camps, unrelated to the ongoing conflicts.
Junta forces also deliberately pursued and fired upon a portion of the over 40,000 civilians evacuated during the clashes when the resistance forces attempted to capture Loikaw, resulting in the loss of lives, including some aid workers.
As per the information disclosed by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) on December 11th, the civilian death toll since the coup has surpassed 4,200.
