Mogok Town in Mandalay Region faces near-daily junta airstrikes, forcing many residents to flee.

Between August 15 and 19, junta aircraft conducted daily flights over Mogok Town, carrying out three bombing raids in total. These attacks killed over 20 civilians and injured at least 10 more.

“We left the town before the roads closed. If they had been shut like last year, it would have been very difficult. You can’t predict what will happen in Mogok. Airstrikes are happening almost every day,” said a resident who recently fled the town.

His reference to the roads being closed last year alludes to the closures caused by fighting before the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) took control of Mogok Town on July 24, 2024.

Currently, many residents of TNLA-controlled Mogok Town are fleeing, primarily heading toward Mandalay Region and southern Shan State.

Mogok residents fleeing to Myanmar’s second-largest city, Mandalay, are also facing steep travel costs, with each journey averaging around 500,000 MMK.

“The buses aren’t even taking cargo now, they’re mostly just carrying passengers. There are so many people trying to leave Mogok that the current buses aren’t enough. Buses are running round trips without even taking breaks. Most people leaving are heading to Mandalay or Taunggyi, and the cost is very high, usually between 500,000 and 600,000 MMK per person,” said a Mogok resident who is still in the town.

In addition, displaced people frequently face delays from checkpoints and road blockages along the way.

Mogok Town, home to roughly 100,000 people, is seeing mostly children, women, and the elderly among those fleeing.