Mone, May (21)
The junta has fired an artillery barrage on the villages in Brigade 3 of Kawthoolei Area in Mone Township, killing three people, including a child and forcing over 10,000 villagers to flee, according to the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA).
At 8:00 a.m. on May 18, a combined force of Light Infantry Battalions 599 and 590, Division 44 and Infantry Battalion 84 fired at least 25 rounds of heavy weapons before entering Saway and Kyuntaw villages in Mone Township, Nyaunglaybin District.
Moreover, the junta launched at least five mortar rounds at Nyaungpinthar village, the statement said.
The KNU said that a 14-year-old youth was hit by a weapon and died while fleeing the junta artillery fire, and one woman and one man were injured.
The injured were taken to nearby hospitals and clinics for treatment. A monastery and a house were destroyed, and a cow was killed in the attacks.
According to reports, after all of the residents of Saway and Kyuntaw villages fled the shelling, regime forces invaded the villages in the evening and have stationed there until now.
A total of 13,991 people from nine villages such as Saway, Hnaugnkon, Tawun Su, Kyuntaw, Nyaungpinseik, Myaunyoegyi, Ywarhaung, Tatkon, and Nyaungpinthar in KNU-Moon Township have been forced to flee to safety due to junta artillery fire, said the KNU.
On May 10, after a battle between the KNLA joint forces and junta army that invaded Mone Township in Nyaungpinthar village, 20 civilians, including four children and 11 women, were burned to death by the regime forces, said the statement.
News – Than Lwin Times
Photo – KNU
