Heavy fighting continues between the Myanmar military junta and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) around Hpalu and Minletpan villages in Karen State's Myawaddy Township, with junta aircraft carrying out heavy airstrikes near the Thai border, including a 500-pound bomb attack that killed a local Buddhist abbot.

On the morning of July 28, a junta fighter jet dropped a 500-pound bomb on a pagoda and monastery complex on a hill near Thonhtatkway village, along the Myawaddy–Wawlay Road.

The attack critically injured the monastery’s abbot, who later succumbed to his wounds.

Two novice monks were also injured by shrapnel and taken to a local hospital for treatment.

The bombing caused severe structural damage to the religious site.

“A fighter jet dropped a bomb, and everyone had to flee,” said a local aid worker assisting displaced residents. “The abbot died because his injuries were too severe. Two novice monks were wounded and hospitalized. We hear the sounds of artillery shelling and airstrikes in the area every day.”

The military junta has been conducting a major offensive for nearly a year in an attempt to capture a fortified KNLA position near Minletpan.

However, ground forces have struggled to advance against resistance positions.

Clashes further intensified after regime forces launched a fresh push through the Mekaneilan–Hpalu jungle route, supported by the junta-aligned Karen Border Guard Force (BGF) Military Region 4 Command and a faction of the Democratic Karen Benevolent Army (DKBA).

On July 26, advancing junta forces engaged in heavy fighting with a resistance coalition led by KNLA Brigade 6.

“West of the stone quarrying plant, beyond Hpalulay village, there is a DKBA-controlled compound linked to scam operations. That is where the fighting is most intense, and the junta side is suffering heavy casualties,” said a military analyst monitoring Karen State.

Securing that area would allow junta troops to reach Thonhtatkway village on the strategic Myawaddy–Wawlay Road.

To support its stalled ground offensive, the regime is conducting daily airstrikes around Thonhtatkway alongside heavy bombardments using mortars and Multiple Launch Rocket Systems (MLRS).

The cross-border impact has also triggered security concerns in neighboring Thailand. Stray bullets and artillery fire have landed inside Thai territory across the Thaungyin (Moei) River, which forms the natural border between Myanmar and Thailand, forcing border communities on both sides to evacuate to safer areas.