Around 10,000 residents from Kani Township in Sagaing Region have fled their homes after a military flotilla traveling upriver and intensified aerial assaults triggered mass displacement, according to local sources.

“We had to flee as soon as the military vessels started heading upriver. It’s raining, and it’s hard to find shelter. People are scared to stay in monasteries or schools because of the risk of airstrikes,” said a woman who fled her village.

The displacement began early in the morning on 14 July, as a flotilla of four warships and nearly 30 flat-bottomed vessels reportedly departed from Ahlon Mindaunt Port. Local defence forces said the vessels were transporting fuel, construction materials, and military supplies.

Local sources noted that the junta is capitalizing on the swollen waters of the Chindwin River during monsoon season to extend its riverine reach. In addition to the naval movement, paramotors, drones, and Y-12 aircraft are being deployed to carry out aerial reconnaissance and bombings in support of the flotilla.

“The Y-12 dropped bombs along the riverbanks for nearly an hour. The flotilla is now nearing Kani. The river is wide, making accurate attacks difficult, so local defence forces are holding back for now,” said a source from the Union Liberation Front (ULF).

Residents from several villages along the river including Ohn Pin Seik, Thabyay Taw, Min Oh, Ai Taung, Chaing, Modedaw, Natkyi, Nga Phyat, Pan Saing, Daze Chaung, and Nyaungbin Wun, have fled amid fears of both ground assault and airstrikes. Many are now sheltering in makeshift camps or forested areas with limited access to food and medicine.

Local humanitarian groups warn that without immediate aid, the displaced face worsening conditions under continued rain and military pressure.