Fierce clashes between junta troops and Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA)-led resistance forces continued in villages surrounding Lay Kay Kaw Town in southern Myawaddy Township, Karen State, locals said.

On the evening of October 15, fifteen trucks carrying junta troops entered Ingyinmyaing Village, located between Falu and Minletpan villages. The troops then began shelling nearby resistance positions with artillery, sparking armed clashes.

“The newly arrived junta troops joined up with the Border Guard Force in Ingyinmyaing and started firing artillery. The shelling went on all night and into the morning of October 16. In response, the Karen resistance forces launched drone strikes,” a local woman who fled the area due to the clashes told KIC.

The junta’s Infantry Battalion 275 (IB 275), based in Myawaddy Town, has been continuously shelling in support of the junta and BGF forces in Ingyinmyaing to pave the way for a ground offensive.

Regime soldiers often take cover in areas where displaced civilians are sheltering when the KNLA launches drone strikes, the woman added.

“You know, the soldiers are really cunning. Whenever the KNLA responds with drone strikes, they move into areas where displaced people are taking shelter. They don’t mingle with the civilians, but just being there puts the displaced people at risk. The soldiers are also often stationed in the compound of the clinic set up for displaced people,” she said.

Due to the ongoing fighting in Lay Kay Kaw Town, approximately 3,400 people, including town residents and locals from eight villages in the nearby Falu Village Tract, are currently taking refuge on the Thai side of the border, including along the banks of the Thaungyin (Moei) River.

Aid workers said these displaced people need support for their livelihoods, shelter, and healthcare. For now, their needs are being met as best as possible with help from a small number of donors and Karen civil society organizations.