The regime forces set three villages on fire near Pala town in Tanintaryi Region’s Palaw township, where there have been violent clashes, the comrades from Karen PDFs told Than Lwin Times.

The 200-strong junta column marched from Palaw town around 9 a.m. on December 30 and clashed with the joint PDFS force before setting fire to the three villages.

The military council’s arson attack resulted in the destruction of 32 homes, including 21 homes in To village, nine homes in Tan Shin village, and two homes in Thingyan Taw village.

An official of the Karen People’s Defense Force said that the Palaw battle, which was going on the Myeik-Dawei highway until the morning of December 31, was intense, and the details of the casualties on both sides were not yet known.

During that battle, the military troops burned houses and fired heavy weapons continuously, causing more than 1,000 residents of six nearby villages, including To village Tan Shin and Thingyan Taw villages, to seek shelter.

On December 21, two local civilians were killed and four were injured due to the explosion of a mortar shell fired by the junta army into To village of Pala Town.