The Military Council bombed Taung Sun village in Win Yay (Waw Ray) township in Karen National Union (KNU) Dooplaya district at least 3 times with warplanes, locals said.

The 16th Battalion of the Karen National Liberation Army, the KNU’s armed wing clashed with the regimetroops stationed in the Taung Sun village monastery, causing hundreds of residents to flee their homes.

On December 31st, the Military Council launched airstrikes on the area where the battle took place.

A Taung Sun villager told KIC on January 1st “There was a fight last night at around 8:00 PM. A Clash broke out again this morning at around 4:00 AM. Most of the villagers fled but a few remained in the villages. The conflict zone was bombed twice by helicopters and once by fighter jets. The extent of the damage is not yet known”.

The Military Council’s aircraft launched aerial bombing attacks at around 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM in the morning, and around 12:00 PM in the afternoon, forcing residents from Taung Sun, Win Kha, Kin Khana, A Nang Kwin, Khu Khan, Sin Pyay and other nearby villages to flee to safety areas. Residents added that the intense fighting continued until after 1:00 PM on January 1st.

KIC has not been able to independently verify the casualties due to the fierce fighting near the Military Council camp in Taung Sun village. However the residents say they saw huge clouds of smoke billowing out of the camp yard.

The Military Council and Border Guard Forces (BGF) jointly deployed in Lut Shan, A Nang Kwin, Ta Khon Taing, and Taung Sun villages in Win Yay township, often interrogate local villagers who wander around.In addition, they threatened to burn all the surrounding villages to ashes if their camp was attacked, according to Win Yay locals