A representative from the People’s Defence Force Battalion 7 of Minbu District has confirmed that military council forces conducting operations in Pwintbyu Township, Magway Region, have arrested 10 civilians and burned down homes. On August 8, approximately 150 military council troops entered and raided several villages including Htoke Pho, Thanatwa, Magyisu, Phalangyin, and Layeainsu villages. During these operations, they arrested 10 civilians to use as human shields and set fire to residential buildings. Among those arrested, Ko Kyaw Zaw from Phalangyin village remains in detention while others have been released. The military forces burned down one house in Phalangyin village and confiscated civilians’ belongings, particularly mobile phones, before withdrawing.
The military forces retreated to their Wa cultivation base on August 9, and revolutionary forces are now conducting area clearance operations to allow displaced civilians to return to their homes. Additionally, in Hsihseng Township, Southern Shan State, the Pa-O National Organization (PNO) militia, operating under the military council, has burned down more than 20 civilian homes in Naung Bo village, according to Khun Rim Yan, a spokesperson for the Pa-O National Liberation Army (PNLA). Since August 9, the military and PNO forces have been systematically burning houses in Naung Bo village, Naung Htaw village, and Tapuhtoe village. The PNLA reconnaissance team has managed to document these arson attacks using drones.
The military council and PNO forces had previously forced residents to evacuate these villages through written notices before conducting their operations and burning the houses. The affected properties belong to civilian residents who have been displaced by the conflict. The systematic destruction of civilian homes continues, with the military forces conducting operations after forcing residents to flee. The PNLA has confirmed that their surveillance drones have captured evidence of at least 20 houses being burned, though the exact count of destroyed homes is still being determined. These actions represent a continuing pattern of the military council’s operations against civilian populations, forcing them to flee their homes before destroying their property.
