The regime troops killed two local residents from Nyaungpinthar village in Mu Township under the KNU’s Kawthoolei area of Brigade 3 (Nyaunglaybin District), the KNU reported on March 1.

The bodies of deceased Ko Kyaw Moe Win and U Kyar Paw were found on February 27 when local residents who fled the conflict came to the village to get food supplies.

Since February 24, the residents of Nyaungpintha village have been fleeing to nearby forests and safe places because regime troops have been firing mortar shells into the village.

The villagers of Nyaungpintha village, which has 161 houses and a population of more than 4,000, are fleeing the entire village because of the junta’s artillery strikes.

According to the statement of the Karen Peace Support Network (KPSN), since the military coup until the end of February this year, the number of IDPS in the KNU-administered area has increased to over 530,000, with over 140,000 in KNU’s Nyaunglaybin District alone.

According to KPSN, the displaced people are in dire need of humanitarian aid due to the continued widespread fighting between the junta army and the joint KNLA/KNDO forces, and artillery shelling and aerial bombardment of the regime forces.