By Nway / MPA
Tens of thousands of residents continue to flee and seek refuge in safer areas following Tuesday’s airstrikes on a monastery within the Kyaukkhwet oil fields, fearing further attacks.
The military junta dropped two 500-pound bombs on a monastery within the oil fields in Sone Kone village, Pauk Township, around 10 a.m. on Tuesday. The attack targeted a monastery where a People’s Defense Force (PDF) soldier’s wedding ceremony was taking place.
By Wednesday, fear of further airstrikes had driven residents from multiple villages—including Sone Kone, Na That, and Kyet Su Aint in Pauk Township, as well as Te Gyi and Kyaukkhwet in Myaing Township—to flee to safer areas. Thousands of workers from other regions who had come to work in the oil fields were also seeking refuge, according to a military news source from Myaing Township.
“The people aren’t staying in the area where the airstrike occurred—they’re all fleeing to safer places,” the source said.
“Business owners are also deeply concerned about whether operations can continue under these circumstances, and there’s a growing sense of uncertainty about what to do next.”
The Kyaukkhwet oil fields, located on the border between Myaing and Pauk Townships, have largely been abandoned as locals fear additional airstrikes.
Tuesday’s attack reportedly left 12 people dead and 22 others injured.
