Local people were urgently fleeing as the junta troops raided East Gwai village, Zayetgyi town, Htantabin Township, Bago Region, by shooting heavy weapons, according to locals.
A local woman aged 40 said that the junta column raided the East Gwai village shooting heavy weapons on March 10, so the villagers had to urgently flee into the nearby forests.
“The heavy weapons fell inside the village, so there were people who were hit and injured, but it isn’t known for sure who were killed and injured yet. We fled on the forest road, and we still did not eat the rice. They (junta) were shooting heavy weapons continuously. So, people ran randomly and dispersed. Our family members were not perfect. Now, we had to flee 25 miles and called the charity association to call us,” she said.
Many people had reportedly fled due to fierce fighting between the junta troops and the resistance forces in Zayetgyi Township on February 7.
“During the previous battle, our side was calm. We did not flee the war. Now, the military column starts offensive patrol, claiming that resistance forces are on this side. So we fled from the column. Now, there are only 45 of us who have arrived at Taungoo IDP camp. About 150 people fleeing the column will remain in the forest, and we still have not yet contacted those people,” said a 30-year-old man who fled from the junta column.
A comrade said that the clash fighting was intense between the resistance forces and the junta column due to the offensive of the junta column.
“The fighting has been taking place since the morning of March 11. It’s happening now, and the casualties are not yet known. It will be published by the KNU center,” he said.
Nearly 20,000 local residents had to flee due to the intensity of the fighting on February 7. When more than 1,000 local residents returned to their homes as the fighting was calm, the fighting restarted to take place again.