The Military Council troops garrisoned in Taung Kyar Inn village in Kawkareik Township conducted checking of overnight guest registration lists during daytime on September 18, said local residents.

Taung Kyar Inn village frequently suffered artillery fire by the Military Council, so most of the locals only lived in the village during the day but took shelter and slept in the monasteries and nearby villages at night. That’s why the Military Council troops decided to check the guest registration list in broad daylight.

“There were more soldiers than usual deployed outside the village and near the creek. They were also setting up the checkpoints. Yesterday, they came to the village in the middle of the day to check the overnight guest registration lists in the village”, A local man who requested to be unnamed told KIC.

Various revolutionary groups are operating around the area and the village was hit by artillery fire by the Military Council while fighting broke out around the area, the local said.

Moreover, the Military Council soldiers indiscriminately opened fire on the houses in the village during the night of September 13. The Military Council sometimes bombarded the village although there was no fighting.

On September 4, the joint forces of local Karen National Defense Force and KNDO opened fire on a Military Council’s checkpoint on the Taung Kyar Inn Bridge. The military brought in more troops after the attack and laid mines in the alleys where the resistance forces could use, the locals said.

Nearly 20 checkpoints were set up by the Military Council, Border Guard Forces (BGF), DKBA and KNU/KNLA-PC (Peace Council) along the road between Taung Kyar Inn village and Koe Taing crossroad. Some checkpoints conducted checking the travelling cars and collecting toll charges.