Intense fighting has continued for over twenty days in Inn Gyi village area of Kawkareik Township, Karen State, with the military suffering heavy casualties and responding by systematically burning monasteries, schools, and residential homes, according to local military sources. On September 20 and 21, severe clashes erupted between the military council forces and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) joint forces in the Inn Gyi village area. During these battles, the military suffered approximately thirty fatalities and twenty injuries, according to confirmed reports.
The military did not retrieve the bodies of regular soldiers and conscripts who died in the fighting, choosing only to collect the bodies of their officers, which were subsequently buried at Gyaing Village cemetery. The wounded soldiers were transported by vehicles to Taunggalay Hospital in Hpa-an. Local sources confirmed that the KNLA forces lost two members and had five others wounded during the engagements. The military operations in Inn Gyi village and Kyun Bine village areas are being guided by DKBA and Border Guard Force units, with continuous intense fighting occurring from August 30 to September 21.
Throughout this period of conflict, the military has suffered approximately one hundred casualties and has repeatedly been forced to retreat, unable to advance their positions. In response, the military has escalated their attacks using aircraft and drones for bombing raids, coupled with heavy artillery bombardments. Ground forces have been systematically burning entire villages, destroying monasteries, schools, and civilian homes. The military’s aggressive response comes as they face significant resistance and casualties in the area, leading to increasingly destructive tactics against civilian infrastructure and property, according to local residents. The ongoing conflict has caused extensive damage to civilian areas and forced many local residents to flee their homes, creating a humanitarian crisis in the region.
