The Karen National Union (KNU) has reported escalating military council activities in Kyaukkyi Township, Bago Region, including the arrest and extortion of a young civilian and continued artillery attacks on residential villages. On August 12 at 2:00 PM, Saw Ay Htoo Soe, a 20-year-old resident from Tone Tan Tar village in Kyaukkyi Township, was arrested at the military’s monastery checkpoint near Pein Zalut railway embankment. The military demanded 10 million kyats (approximately USD 4,800) for his release, and he was only freed after his family paid the ransom.
The military council has also been conducting indiscriminate artillery attacks on civilian areas. On August 7 at 11:40 PM, Infantry Battalion 264 based in Pein Zalut fired a 120mm artillery shell that landed and exploded in a turmeric field near the western ward of Taung Chin village. On August 9 at 11:40 PM, military forces from Pae Ngwe Kone fired two 120mm artillery shells that landed in farmlands near Na Zale village. Additionally, on August 10 at 12:30 PM, Infantry Battalion 264 from Pein Zalut fired another 120mm artillery shell that exploded near Samin Inn Kone village.
The attacks continued in Shwegyin Township, where on August 9 between 6:15 PM and 9:48 PM, Infantry Battalion 20 based in Ye Phyu Kan fired seven 60mm artillery shells that landed in Gway Kone and Kauk Mat Thu villages. On August 13 at 8:30 AM, Infantry Battalion 598, stationed in Phar Baw village, fired an 81mm artillery shell that exploded near Thaman Zayat village. The KNU has provided detailed documentation of these incidents, highlighting the military council’s ongoing campaign of violence against civilian populations in the region.
