More than 30 civilians reportedly were arrested by the military junta as human shields in Yesagyo Township, Magway Region.
“The military junta arrested the people _ who are passing by in front of the Yesagyo Infantry Battalion- 256, and _ the people from Saetaw village near pro-junta Pyusawhti Zeetaw village_ on January 12, and is using those people as human shields to go to Lin Kadaw Police Station,” an information official of Yesagyo PDF, said.
The junta troops went to Lin Kadaw police station in Myaing, using those civilians as human shields. Those who are used as human shiels have not been released yet. Those are still in the police station. We know that those people are safe, he said.
“A column of 40 junta troops _ that came out to the Lin Kadaw police station, holding about 30 civilians as human shields at 9:00 a.m. on January 14 _ was attacked with heavy weapons, small weapons and drones on the road before arriving at the police station, killing a pro-junta pyusawhti militia and seriously injuring 5 troops,” a PDF comrade on ground fighting, said.
“They formed those civilians into a group of five people and those people were forced to carry the packages among the troops. So, we had to watch and move carefully the whole day on January 14. We managed to keep the people from safe when we attacked the column. It was difficult for us too. But we were able to fight the soldiers, so a Pyusawhti militia was killed, and 5 troops were seriously injured,” he said.
During the attack, the civilians _ who were used as human shields _ in the convoy were not harmed.
After this column was attacked, the column entered the Lin Kadaw police station along with the arrested human shields, and they are still in the police station until today.
The attack reportedly was carried out together by Pakokku District Battalion- 9 along with Yesagyo People’s Defense Force.
MPA cannot specifically confirm the deaths and injuries of the military junta troops.