Villages in Kyainseikgyi Township, Karen State, are facing continuous airstrikes and artillery attacks due to informants from the military-backed USDP party members and Ma Ba Tha monks reporting to the military council. The attacks have forced thousands of civilians to flee to safety. Members of the USDP party and Ma Ba Tha monks from Kan Ni, Kawwalae, Ko Taing, and Yankut villages have been providing intelligence to the military about the movements of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and allied forces in the area, leading to attacks on civilian settlements.
According to a local resident, these military informant activities have resulted in civilian casualties within their own villages, with villagers being killed by airstrikes and artillery fire. Similar incidents of displacement due to informant activities have occurred in previous years as well. On April 17 evening, Thaluethaw village was targeted in an airstrike that resulted in civilian casualties and injuries. Later that night, around 1 AM, Kammarok village was also bombed, while Strategic Operations Command 12 launched artillery attacks using three shells on Naung Ta Pwe and Kawkalaing villages in northern Kawkareik.
On April 18, fighter jets conducted surveillance operations along the Gyaing Bridge route from morning until afternoon, causing a significant decrease in cargo vehicle movement. Vehicles carrying displaced civilians are only being allowed to travel towards Hpa-an after thorough inspection and questioning by military council troops and Border Guard Force personnel. The ongoing military operations have created a humanitarian crisis in the region, with thousands of civilians forced to abandon their homes and seek refuge in safer areas, highlighting the devastating impact of the military council’s offensive operations on civilian populations in Karen State.
