It is reported that three displaced people were killed and four injured when they were hit by shells fired by the junta troops in Salingyi Township, Sagaing Region.
The military column of around 70 soldiers that came out of Salingyi Town at around 5:00 a.m. today (January 20th), arrived at Kyw Koe Taw village at around 10:00 a.m. and opened fire with heavy weapons, resulting in the deaths and injuries of the displaced people near the village, according to the Future Little Stars Team, which supports IDPs.
“They (the victims) were making a fire. Seeing that smoke, the army thought about the groups (PDFs), and they fired it with heavy weapons. They fired many times. One went straight at them. They said they had to pick up the bodies piece by piece. The condition of the two injured is not yet known for sure,” said the person in charge of the future Little Stars team.
The deceased are one girl (two and a half years old), one man (53 years old), and another man (78-year-old). Their identities have not yet been confirmed. In addition, it is not yet known whether the four injured are male or female, he said.
The 28th Battalion of Yinmapin District (Darmasaing Army) under the NUG attacked the column that came out of Salingyi Town at around 6:30 a.m. with landmines. Then, when the PDFs retreated after the attack, one PDF soldier was shot by the junta forces, Thura, the person in charge of information from Circle No. 6 of Salingyi Township, said.
“At the exit of the town, PDFs attacked them with a landmine. Then, while they were crossing to plant another point, the junta column started shooting them ahead. It was only the length of a bamboo pole away. Two motorcycles with three PDF soldiers were going; one of them hit. The soldier driving the motorcycle was hit. He was able to ride for about 200 feet before falling into the roadside ditch. The soldier sitting behind him fell on the motorcycle and was injured. The other one escaped,” he said.
The mine attack took place in the early hours of the morning, and the condition of the junta soldiers killed and injured is unknown, he continued.
The fallen PDF soldier was Comrade Thet Maung Maung (aka) Nga Maung, the mine officer and section commander of the 28th Battalion of Yinmapin District (Darmasai Army).
It is learned that the column arrived at Thanmataw Village at around 6:30 p.m. today.