8 Mar 2025 By Zwe Ko / MPA
The military junta has sealed off roads and launched daily airstrikes in three townships—Htantabin and Kyaukkyi in Bago Region, and Thandaunggyi in Karen State.
Road closures have been enforced in villages including Thabyaynyo Sanpya, Kyaukyipauk, Innmagyikone, and Shwepyithar (also known as Makyintaw).
According to local residents, the military has been conducting daily airstrikes since Thursday, with the latest bombings reported on Saturday.
A 40-year-old man from Kyaukyipauk Village described the escalation, “On Thursday, our community was holding a funeral ceremony for a senior monk who had passed away. As the number of attendees decreased, military aircraft appeared and began bombing. The attacks continued through the night, throughout the next day, and into the morning of March 8. Thabyaynyo Sanpya, Innmagyikone, and Makyintaw villages were also targeted.”
The airstrikes have claimed multiple lives. A woman in her 50s from Kyaukyipauk Village was killed, along with a man and a woman from Makyintaw Village, according to a local resident.
“Two children from Kyaukyipauk and three from Makyintaw were injured, making a total of five casualties. The roads are blocked, so we cannot transport the injured to hospitals. Some of them may need amputations. We tried to send them to Taungoo Hospital, but the routes through Pyu and Zayatgyi are closed. Right now, they are receiving treatment from local medics in a nearby village,” a 50-year-old woman from Kyaukyipauk explained.
Residents are forced to endure daily bombings, even in areas without active fighting. Many have sought refuge in makeshift bomb shelters.
“We have dug shelters in the forests near the village and are hiding there,” said a 30-year-old woman from Kyaukyipauk.
“We can’t go to town because of military checkpoints. The situation is dire. When the bombings first started, we could still travel, but the next day, the roads were closed. The military is using different types of bombs and firing from aircraft. We are too afraid to leave the shelters.”
Civilians trapped in the conflict zone are facing worsening conditions, with humanitarian organizations struggling to evacuate them due to military roadblocks.
A representative from a Taungoo-based humanitarian organization described their difficulties, “We used to be able to travel from Taungoo to Htantabin, Zayatgyi, and Mone. But as the situation deteriorated, we attempted to go through Pyu, only to find the roads blocked with felled trees. At the checkpoints, we saw detained civilians and injured people, but we were not allowed to pass and had to turn back.”
In western Bago Region, areas under Karen National Union (KNU) control are frequently targeted by junta airstrikes and artillery fire, leading to ongoing civilian casualties and displacement.
Editor: Ko San
Translator – Alice Wai
