Local sources and officials from the Pekon Township People’s Security Force have confirmed that the military council forces and their allied Pa-O National Organization (PNO) militia have launched a major offensive against Saung Nan Khe village, located on the eastern bank of Pekon Lake at the border of Shan State and Karenni State. The military forces began their assault on June 23, using air support and heavy artillery to attack the village. The offensive has forced villagers to flee their homes, with numerous houses being destroyed by fire set by the attacking forces.
The military council’s offensive is being resisted by a coalition of revolutionary forces including the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF), Moebye People’s Defense Force (PDF), Pekon PDF, Loikaw PDF, and the Pyar Column. However, due to the military council’s superior firepower and numbers, the resistance forces were forced to tactically withdraw from their positions. The military continues to conduct airstrikes using fighter jets, according to local residents. The attacking forces approached from the east of Moebye town and began systematically burning houses in the village starting from the evening of June 24.
The military council forces remain in the village as of now, and while the exact number of destroyed homes cannot yet be confirmed, local sources report that numerous houses have been burned down. The military’s deliberate destruction of civilian homes constitutes a war crime, according to local residents. The joint forces of the military council and PNO militia continue to occupy the village while maintaining air support and artillery fire in the area. This attack represents another instance of the military council’s ongoing campaign of violence against civilian populations in their attempt to suppress resistance to their rule.
