Three civilians were injured and many residents were arrested after the military council forces launched artillery attacks and raided Ohpho village in Shwebo Township, Sagaing Region. On the evening of May 14, a military column of approximately 50 troops from Training Unit No. 8 in Shwebo arrived at the Minkon military outpost and began firing heavy weapons toward Ohpho village around 6:30 PM. According to local residents, one artillery shell landed and exploded inside the village while four others fell and detonated in nearby fish ponds and farmlands.
The artillery strikes resulted in injuries to one woman and two men from Ohpho village who were hit by shell fragments. Several houses were also damaged in the attack. The following morning on May 15 around 4 AM, the same military column launched additional artillery attacks on Takoneting village before conducting a raid. During the operation, numerous civilians were detained while soldiers ransacked residents’ homes, searching and destroying property at will. The military’s actions have caused extensive damage to civilian property and created an atmosphere of fear and insecurity in the area.
Currently, thousands of residents from Ohpho village, Kinbyar village, Takoneting village, and surrounding communities have been forced to flee their homes, seeking refuge in nearby villages. The military council’s artillery attacks have resulted in loss of life, property, and livelihoods while severely deteriorating the security situation, causing great concern among local residents. According to one local resident’s account, the military forces fired indiscriminately with heavy weapons, with one shell landing inside Ohpho village and four others exploding in fish ponds and farmlands. This resulted in three civilian casualties, and the forces are now conducting raids in Takoneting village where they have detained numerous residents.
