Four civilians fleeing the war and taking shelter in a hillside farming area were hit by an artillery round and wounded, while the Military Council troops fired artillery and small arms in Kanpetlet township in southern Chin state.

A volunteer helping people flee the war said, “Junta troops in Myat Pin Kye village in Kanpetlet Township on December 10 th , opened fire randomly for no reason.  Then an artillery shell hit four locals who were hiding in a hillside farm.” .

“There are about ten huts in that hillside farming area. The locals are hiding there to escape the war. When the Military Council troops arrived at Myat Pin Kye, they fired artillery rounds and also small arms, hitting two huts. Three people were seriously injured, and one was slightly hurt”, he told Khonumthung News.

The wounded were three men and a woman between the ages of 50 and 70. They had injuries on their waists and arms. All the injured were taken to a nearby clinic for treatments. Regime soldiers also entered Kyauk Taung village through Myat Pyin Kye and arrested six civilians. Four of them were released, yet two are still in custody.

Since December 8th, troops from the 11th Division, 55th Division and 101st Division under the Military Council’s command, marched from Kyan Taw village in Saw township of Magway region marched through Kyan Taw to Myat Pin Kye, Upper Lat Mon, Lower Lat Mon and Khar Pan villages in Kanpetlet and deployed. Residents of Upper Lat Mon and Lower Lat Mon villages also had to flee to safety due to the deployment of Junta forces. Now some villagers have returned to their homes as the military columns have left.

The Kanpetlet People’s Administration has issued a notice for the Kanpetlet residents to avoid the battlefields as far as possible, to be aware of the activities of the Military Council troops, and to avoid using the Kanpetlet-Saw Road.