A middle school in Pyarsakhan Village has been forced to close temporarily after Myanmar military junta forces set up a base nearby following clashes with local resistance forces along the Taungoo-Thandaunggyi Highway.

The escalation began on August 8 when resistance fighters ambushed a 17-vehicle junta convoy heading toward Thandaunggyi.

In the aftermath of the attack, military troops established a position immediately adjacent to Pyarsakhan Village, creating an atmosphere of fear among residents.

“After their convoy was attacked outside the village, the soldiers set up camp nearby and haven't left,” a resident said, speaking on condition of anonymity for safety reasons. “No one dares to step outside, and the children are too terrified to attend school, forcing it to close.”

Following the ambush, junta artillery units launched indiscriminate shelling into nearby civilian areas.

Shells landed directly inside Kyauktaing and Nanttharkone villages in neighboring Taungoo Township, damaging homes in Kyauktaing.

Local sources reported that residents had fled before the bombardment, avoiding civilian casualties.

The strategic highway connecting Taungoo in Bago Region to Thandaunggyi and Leiktho in Karen State has seen frequent clashes since the February 2021 military coup. The corridor passes through territory overseen by Brigade 2 of the Karen National Union (KNU), one of Myanmar’s prominent ethnic armed organizations.

Landmine attacks and ambushes against military supply convoys along the route remain frequent, often followed by retaliatory shelling and troop deployments that disrupt local access to education, agriculture, and essential movement.