Local residents report that villagers from Letpan village in Sagaing Township, Sagaing Region, have been forced to flee after artillery shells fired by the military council forces struck a monastery in their village. The incident occurred following clashes between resistance forces and military council troops along the Sagaing-Mingun road between 9 PM and 11 PM on March 17. After the fighting, the military council forces indiscriminately fired heavy weapons at civilian areas, with one artillery shell hitting and damaging the monastery in Letpan village. The entire village population has evacuated to safer locations, though the extent of civilian casualties from the artillery strike remains unconfirmed.
Local sources reported that the military council forces were seen transporting their casualties from the fighting in covered vehicles. Additionally, the military council has conducted airstrikes using armed helicopters against villages in Taungthar Township, Mandalay Region, according to the Taungthar Township Public Movement Committee. Around 2:48 AM on March 19, military council forces used helicopters to drop bombs on Kyipintet village and Nagabo village while also firing small arms. The attacks have forced civilians to abandon their homes and face significant challenges regarding food, shelter, and security concerns.
The Taungthar Township Public Movement Committee is still investigating the full extent of civilian casualties and property damage resulting from these aerial attacks. Local residents point out that the military council’s targeting of civilian areas constitutes war crimes, as they continue to launch indiscriminate attacks on residential areas. The ongoing military operations have created a humanitarian crisis in these regions, with displaced villagers facing severe hardships and security risks. The military council’s use of heavy weapons and airstrikes against civilian targets represents a serious escalation of violence against the local population, who have been forced to flee their homes and seek refuge in safer areas, leaving behind their properties and livelihoods.
