Local villagers have been fleeing their homes following three days of fighting around Htimuhta and Nupo villages within the Thingannyinaung Village Tract of Myawaddy Township, Karen State.

Since early September, fighting has been occurring daily between the junta and the resistance coalition of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and the People’s Defence Force (PDF).

During the fighting, the junta fired artillery into Htimuhta and Nupo villages, causing civilian casualties and damage to structures. Around 200 residents from the two villages subsequently fled to Falu Village, located south of Myawaddy Town.

“A local was killed and eight others were injured in the junta’s artillery strikes. The shelling also set houses and cars on fire. During the clashes, the junta’s ground forces were surrounded, prompting them to retaliate with artillery on nearby villages. Currently, around 200 people are seeking shelter in Falu, Minletpan, and Lay Kay Kaw, while the number of those evacuated to other villages remains unknown,” said an administration official from Falu.

A junta column of around 100 men advanced into the Thingannyinaung Village Tract, but the KNLA-PDF coalition trapped it and blocked it.

“The junta bases in Kawkareik Town and nearby Hlaingwa Village were providing bombardment support with howitzers and rockets in an attempt to free the trapped column. When that failed, the junta sent a Y-12 utility aircraft to bomb the resistance positions. The junta column is believed to have suffered heavy casualties, while the resistance reported two to three injuries. The exact number of casualties on both sides remains unknown,” said a resistance frontline source.

In Kawkareik Township, fighting remains intense along the Kawkareik-Myawaddy Road section of Asian Highway 1 (AH1) and the old mountain pass connecting the two towns, both of which are currently under resistance control.

photo credit - CJ