As a result of the Military Council's airstrikes on villages in Shwegu Township, Kachin State, the residents of 37 villages are evacuating to safer areas.

Following a clash between the Military Council and the People's Defense Forces (PDF) on April 5, the Military Council suffered

significant losses and responded by launching three airstrikes in the area using warplanes, prompting residents to evacuate to safer locations.

A resident from Sithar Village who escaped the conflict told the Myitkyina News Journal that the inhabitants of 37 villages in Shwegu Township, including Simugyi Village, Simulay Village, Manwein Village, Sithar Village, and Sithaung Village, were forced to flee to safe places.

"People from Shwegu town and the village tend to flee to the forest near the village and town," said the Sithar village resident.

A resident of Sithar village also said that during the conflict between the Military Council and the People's Defense Forces, the Military Council launched three airstrikes on the area, one in the afternoon, another in the evening, and a third at approximately 6:00 p.m, resulting in the destruction of several villages.

The People's Defense Forces (Shwegu) social media page posted a photo and announced that residential homes in Sithar Village were set ablaze due to artillery shells fired by Military Council troops, in addition to being destroyed by three airstrikes carried out by fighter jets.

The conflict between the Military Council and the People's Defense Forces continued after the airstrikes, and local residents reported hearing the sounds of gunfire and planes until April 6.

Each of the affected villages has over 1,000 residents who are currently evacuating due to the conflict. According to the 2014 census, Shwegu Township has more than 30 village-tracts and more than 100 villages.