After the military raided and burned down the village of Aung Thu Kha in Taze Township, Sagaing Region, nearly 20,000 people from 15 villages fled from the junta raids, according to locals and People Defense Forces (PDFs).
The military column with 200 forces came out from Nardaung village, Taze Township, at 12:30 p.m. on May 27, and raided Aung Thu Kha village, an official from Shwebo District’s No. 52 Strategic Column said.
“The junta column chose only the house of a resident of Aung Thu Kha village and set fire to it. The column had been patrolling in Taze Township since May 22,” he said.
Nearly 20,000 people from the villages _ Pyatgyi, Tharkayta, Oh Thaekone, Nayaunglay Pin, Tharyar Kone, Innbed, Myauk Toktaloke, Taung Toktaloke, Aung Thukha, Ywathet, Nyanthar, Shwelan, Ngatan, Thaekone, Taung Taw _ have fled from the military column, he said.
“We had to flee on May 25. We started fleeing after hearing gunshots in the morning. That same day, I heard that a woman from a nearby village had been shot to death. The rain was raining, so it was difficult to flee,” a displaced person said.
The military column patrolled to be stationed on Taze- Karboe Road and if they could be stationed on this road section, it would be easier to reinforce from Kantbalu Township, a local defense comrade said.
“They (junta column) are stationed in the village of Thaekone. That village is a village on the border between Taze and Kantbalu. They are patrolling to be stationed in Taung Toktaloke village. If the column is stationed in these two villages, they will control the eastern part of Taze Township. If so, they can come by car along Taze – Karboe Road from Kantbalu. So, we are trying to prevent the column from being stationed,” he said.
This column raided Myauk Toktaloke village with divided 2 columns by shooting with weapons, on May 25, 2024, killing a woman aged 54.