Two civilians were killed when the military council’s forces fired artillery shells at a funeral home in Zarapkhin Village, Kyauktaga Township, Bago Region, according to local sources and People’s Defense Force officials. The incident occurred on the evening of August 29 when soldiers from Battalion 307, based in Penyetkone Town, Kyauktaga Township, fired 120mm artillery shells indiscriminately without any ongoing battles in the area.
The artillery shell explosion at the funeral home killed U Phoe Kyaw, age 49, and Daw Kyi Kyi, age 44, instantly, while four other civilians were injured in the attack. The tragedy was particularly poignant as U Phoe Kyaw was already grieving the recent death of his son in Bangkok when he became a victim of the artillery strike.
A spokesperson from the Kyauktaga Township People’s Defense Force stated that these artillery attacks were deliberately targeting civilians, and this particular strike on the funeral home where a meal offering ceremony was taking place was based on information from military informants. The bodies of U Phoe Kyaw and Daw Kyi Kyi were laid to rest at Nyaungthot Cemetery in the afternoon of August 30. The incident represents another example of the military council’s continued use of heavy weapons against civilian targets, resulting in casualties among the local population.
