A junta column operating in eastern Hpruso Township in Karenni State set fire to an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp, forcing more than 1,000 people to flee.
After the IDP camp was torched by regime soldiers, more than 1,000 residents from the camp and nearby areas fled into surrounding forested areas, where they are now taking temporary shelter, according to the Coordination Team for Emergency Relief–Karenni (CTER-Karenni), a local rescue team, and residents.
“When the soldiers suddenly arrived, we all ran for our lives in fear, unable to take even a single belonging with us. Some people who couldn’t escape in time were beaten and assaulted by the soldiers,” and IDP said.
Around 2:00 p.m. on May 8, regime troops suddenly stormed the Hway Du Lar IDP camp in Hpruso Township and fired warning shots before setting tents and vehicles on fire. The camp, which has 68 houses and shelters more than 300 people, saw over half of its homes reduced to ashes in the blaze.
On the evening of May 9, the Military Advanced Training Depot 14 (MATD 14) based in Hpruso Township fired nine artillery shells into nearby villages, injuring a 90-year-old man.
Junta forces are still stationed near villages in eastern Hpruso Township, trapping residents and preventing them from evacuating, according to CTER-Karenni.
“The IDPs are currently sheltering in the forests. While they’ve received some assistance for shelter, their food needs remain very high. Humanitarian aid has not been able to reach them due to security concerns, but efforts are still ongoing to connect and support them,” an aid worker told NMG.
CTER-Karenni announced on May 11 that efforts are underway to reach affected communities, but access remains difficult as roads are still blocked in some areas.
Locals reported that troops from the junta’s Light Infantry Battalions 531 and 428, as well as MATD 14 in Hpruso Township, have been moving more frequently around surrounding villages in recent days.
According to Karenni civil society organizations, nearly 300,000 of the estimated 400,000 people in Karenni State have been displaced by the war and urgently need food and medicine.
