According to statements and reports from People’s Defense Forces (PDF), 17 members of the military council forces were killed in various clashes across Myanmar on April 23. These casualties occurred during battles in different states and regions where local defense forces engaged in defensive operations against military council troops. The reports came from multiple PDF units operating in different areas of the country.
The PDF statements indicate that these clashes erupted as local defense forces attempted to protect civilians from the military council troops’ activities, which reportedly include persecution of local residents, looting of property, and destruction of civilian infrastructure. However, it should be noted that these casualty figures cannot be independently verified on the ground due to access restrictions and security concerns in the conflict areas.
The ongoing conflict stems from the military council’s continued oppression of civilians, including forced military recruitment, use of civilians as human shields during military operations, burning of villages, and arbitrary arrests and killings of innocent civilians. As a result, People’s Defense Forces continue to resist these actions while standing with the civilian population. This has led to daily armed confrontations resulting in casualties on both sides, as local defense forces attempt to protect communities from military council operations.
