The Military Council has threatened to burn down the village, if they hear any more reports of PDF troops in Naung Cho township, Kyaukme district in Shan state.

On February 10, when Mandalay PDF and the Military Council clashed in Naung Cho township, the Military Council arrested some villagers from Naung Cho township and threatened locals with burning down their village, a local man told Shan Herald.

“After 7 villagers were arrested, and 6 were released, the other detainee was killed for allegedly being related to the PDF. Then they threatened to burn down the village if there were any more reports of PDF in this area. Now they have bombed the village with warplanes and destroyed many houses, including the monastery,”  said the resident, who did not want to be named.

Currently, the fighting has calmed down, and the regime forces have retreated to the vicinity of Longkhan Village in Naung Cho Township, causing fear to the residents.

During the fighting, many local houses, including religious buildings in Longkhan village were hit and damaged by the Military Council's airstrikes, and the resident said that now, they needed help to repair them.

“ Both the monastery and the pagodas were badly damaged. And two houses were hit by bombs that landed on a roof. No less than 20 houses were damaged by other weapons and by the soldiers. We need help to repair these,” he said.

According to local residents, 1 villager and a buffalo were killed in addition to damage to buildings and houses due to the Military Council troops.

Currently, the body of the villager who was killed has not been found, because Military Council forces are stationed in the vicinity of the village, and the villagers have not dared to search for it.       

The coup Military Council forces have announced a one-year ceasefire from January 1 to December 31, 2023, but fighting continues on the battlefields of Shan state.