Four resistance fighters killed in raid by Myanmar regime forces

A Myanmar army raid on a camp in Magway Region’s Yesagyo Township earlier this week left four resistance fighters dead, including three who were executed after their capture. The camp, which was located in Kyu, a village about 20 miles south of the town of Yesagyo, also had a clinic for anti-regime groups active in the area, according to resistance sources. The raid took place at around 7am on Tuesday, when a column of around 50 junta troops coming from the direction of Yesagyo arrived and quickly overpowered the resistance fighters, killing one in a brief exchange of fire, the sources said. Three others at the camp were subsequently captured and taken to a Buddhist monastery, where they were interrogated before being shot dead, an officer of the group that ran the camp told Myanmar Now. “They tied their hands behind their backs and took them to the Buddhist monastery. Then they tortured them and later brought them back to the clinic and shot them in the head,” he said. Weapons and ammunition were also seized in the raid, he added. According to the officer, the group relies mainly on its own handmade guns, and so was unable to to defend itself against the much more heavily armed junta forces. However, some members were able to escape, including two who suffered minor injuries. All of the dead fighters were in their 20s, he added. The junta column also reportedly detained a number of farmers for use as human shields before carrying out the raid. The farmers were held at the monastery until their release later the same day, according to local residents. The regime has not released a statement about the raid, but pro-junta social media accounts have reported the killing of four anti-regime fighters in Kyu, a village of around 300 households. Earlier this year, the village was raided by junta soldiers and members of the military-backed Pyu Saw Htee militia. Around 60 houses were destroyed by fire in that attack, according to locals. Yesagyo borders both Mandalay and Sagaing regions, and is considered a resistance stronghold. Located at the confluence of the Ayeyarwady and Chindwin rivers, it s largely under the control of groups opposed to the regime that seized power in 2021. In other parts of the country, resistance forces have inflicted heavy losses on the military, capturing hundreds of camps and bases and seizing control of dozens of towns. The latest resistance advances have been reported in northern Shan State and adjacent areas of Mandalay Region, while an ongoing offensive in Rakhine State has resulted in the capture of more than half of the state’s 17 townships by the Arakan Army.

Four resistance fighters killed in raid by Myanmar regime forces

Three of the victims were executed after being captured at a camp in Magway Region’s Yesagyo Township

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