Thousands of residents from villages in Minle Township, Bago Region, have been forced to flee to safety as the military continues daily artillery attacks on civilian areas. The military began positioning heavy weapons at Infantry Battalion 1, Kyauk Taga Phayar Kon, and Takalay village on April 23rd, from where they have been systematically targeting surrounding villages with artillery fire.
The military’s indiscriminate artillery strikes have hit multiple villages including Yway Kon, Thayaw Kon, Mukha, Salt Creek, Elephant Pond Creek Junction, Gangaw Pin, Taung Pyat, U Taw Nyan Pin, U Taw Taung Su, U Taw Bamar Su, Ingyin Kon, and Wet Kon among others. Due to these ongoing artillery attacks, residents from over twenty villages across several village tracts including Kyaung Village, Yway Kon, Kwet Ma, San Boke, Htauk Kyan, Pet Tan, Gangaw Pin, U Taw Nyan Pin, Ingyin Kon and San Taung Kwe have been forced to evacuate to safer locations.
According to local residents, people are fleeing in fear not only because of the daily artillery bombardment but also due to concerns about potential ground battles breaking out in the area. Currently, at least over one thousand people have been displaced, and locals estimate this number could rise if the military continues its artillery attacks. The situation has created widespread fear and uncertainty among villagers who have had to abandon their homes and livelihoods to seek safety elsewhere, with no clear indication of when they might be able to return.
