Gunboats belonging to the military junta stationed in the Gyaing River, near the border between Mon and Karen states, have resumed firing mortar shells toward villages, according to local residents.

On the evening of March 19, two junta gunboats in the Gyaing River fired three mortar shells toward Mikalon and Kawtkan villages, residents reported. The shelling has continued sporadically, targeting areas where resistance forces are believed to be active.

“The gunboats have started indiscriminately firing mortars again. When a shell lands, the ground shakes. They aim at places where they think resistance forces might be. People should be cautious because this won’t stop anytime soon. If we get hit, we die—that’s how reckless they are,” said a local resident.

This is not the first time the military has used gunboats to target villages. In March 2024, junta gunboats shelled Dhammasa village, destroying hundreds of homes.

Following intense clashes in the Gyaing River region last year, resistance forces were forced to retreat, and the junta reinforced its presence in the area. The military has since established control over several villages, stationing troops in houses, monasteries, and along key roads.

“A year has passed, and they are still here. Troops have occupied homes, monasteries, and village roads from Kawzue and Kawtthat to Taranar. But beyond that, they don’t have control—that’s resistance-held territory,” said a resident from Kawtthat village.

The escalation of fighting in 2024 forced thousands of villagers from Kawtbein, Kawtpauk, Payagyi, Thankalaung, Dhammasa, Taranar, Kawtthat, Kawzue, and Kawtnut to flee to Mawlamyine or seek refuge in Thailand, where many remain displaced.