According to a statement from the Karen National Union (KNU) Central Committee, over 8,000 civilians have been forced to flee their homes due to airstrikes and heavy artillery attacks by the terrorist military forces on villages in Kyaikto and Thaton Townships of Mon State. On April 28, the military council’s air force dropped a 300-pound bomb on Pyinkatoekon village in Kyaikto Township, which exploded in a rubber plantation but caused no civilian casualties.
On May 2, the military council’s Infantry Battalion 207 and Artillery Battalion 310 fired twelve rounds of 60mm, 81mm, and 120mm artillery shells, which landed near the Three Rivers Dhamma Duta Monastery and surrounding areas in Khwe village. On the same day, the military council’s air force conducted another airstrike using fighter jets, dropping a 300-pound bomb on Pyinkatoekon village. On May 4, the 16-bed Phalanhtaung (Phawor) Hospital was attacked with two bombs, resulting in the destruction of hospital buildings.
On May 6, bombing raids on Alu village area destroyed a chicken farm, while another bomb destroyed a toddy palm plantation in the Ngapyawtaw village area. Due to these attacks on civilian areas, more than 8,800 local residents have been forced to flee to safer locations and are in urgent need of emergency food supplies. In Thaton Township, on May 4, two bombs were dropped on Shweyaungpya village tract, damaging a monastery and destroying over 50 rubber trees. Additionally, Artillery Battalion 320 fired two artillery shells, causing damage to rubber plantations and forest monastery buildings, while Infantry Battalion 206 and Artillery Battalion 402 fired two more artillery shells that exploded within Kawthlaing village.
