Reports from local displaced civilians indicate that the military is burning down Zarithmyaung village in Minhla Township, Bago Region. The military council forces began setting fire to the village around 8 AM on April 30, despite there being no active fighting in the area. The villagers had preemptively evacuated, so there were no civilian casualties or arrests. Local sources stated that this arson attack appears to be retaliation for the military’s recent losses in previous battles in the area.
On April 27 around 9 AM, a military column of over 70 troops left the monastery in Thawkun village in Minhla Township. When they reached Ngmoeheip village, resistance forces surrounded and attacked them. In that battle, resistance forces seized 13 weapons and recovered 10 dead soldiers’ bodies, while also capturing one soldier alive. Local residents reported that the current burning of civilian homes appears to be revenge for these military casualties suffered in that earlier battle.
Currently, all residents from villages across Minhla Township have been displaced and are in urgent need of food, medicine, and shelter. The military has split into multiple columns to enter various villages, and due to the ongoing military tensions, civilians are unable to return to their homes. Displaced residents report that approximately two military columns continue to operate in the area, burning down villages. The security situation remains tense as the military continues its offensive operations against civilian areas, forcing residents to remain displaced without access to basic necessities or their homes.
