More than 7,000 residents from riverside villages in Paungbyin Township, Sagaing Region, have fled their homes amid military junta attacks along the Chindwin River involving warships and airstrikes.

Displacement began on 25 July and has worsened in recent days as the situation on the ground becomes increasingly dire, according to local sources.

“Most people had to flee from the riverside villages. As the days go by, it’s getting harder to manage food and shelter. We’re surviving by sharing and exchanging whatever little rice we have,” said a local resident from Paungbyin.

Sources on the ground reported that the junta is using jet fighters and Y-12 aircraft to conduct airstrikes in support of its advancing riverine fleet, taking advantage of the Chindwin River’s widening in the area.

“One bomb fell inside the garden of Hehlaw village and another near the school. Jet fighters dropped bombs twice,” said a local resistance fighter.

The military fleet reportedly consists of four riverine warships and 19 support vessels, accompanied by approximately 30 civilian cargo boats, and has already advanced as far as Hkamti Township.

Fearing the fleet may open fire on riverside villages as it heads downstream, thousands of residents from Gyokone, Hehlaw, Nanseema, Kyaikkalun, Ahhlaw, Thanyitthar, Thayetkone, Khawea, and Nanmawlaik villages in Paungbyin Township have been forced to flee.