At least four people were killed when Myanmar’s military carried out an airstrike on a police station in Demoso Township, a key resistance stronghold in Karenni State, on Monday, according to local sources.
Three resistance police officers and a civilian were killed when junta aircraft bombed a police station operated by the Karenni State Police Force (KSP)—an agency under the Interim Executive Council that administers resistance-held Karenni State—according to a spokesperson for the administrative body.
“At least four bombs were dropped on the police station and there were reports of a suicide drone attack as well,” Banya Khung Aung, the spokesperson of IEC said. “We can’t confirm the details at this time.”
“It’s not a main police station, just a police post. It’s currently being relocated from this spot, as it has frequently been targeted by the military.”
At least three nearby houses were also damaged in the attack, which occurred at around 7:00 am. The Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF) declined to comment on the incident.
In August, the military regime regained control of Demoso’s urban area from Karenni resistance forces, following its capture of Mobye a month earlier, a strategic town, serving as a gateway into Karenni State from southern Shan State.
However, fighting continues across Loikaw, Bawlakhe, Hpruso, Demoso, and Pekhon townships in Karenni State as junta troops open five battle fronts in a push toward resistance-held areas, sources close to the resistance told Myanmar Now.
“Skirmishes happen every day and the military also fires heavy weapons,” a source linked with Karenni resistance forces said. “Many people have had to flee from Daw Ngan Khar, which lies close to the urban areas controlled by the military in Demoso.”
At least three people were killed and eight others injured in a series of junta drone attacks on villages in Demoso and Hpruso townships in October, the KNDF said Monday. The victims were farmers working in their paddy fields at the time of the strikes.
The junta has also taken full control of Loikaw, the state capital, as well as four other towns; Hpruso and Bawlakhe in Karenni State, and Mobye and Pekhon near the Shan-Karenni border.
It has also secured control over the main roads linking Pekhon, Mobye, and Loikaw; Hsihseng, Loilen Lay, and Loikaw.
Although the junta maintains control of many urban centres, most of the surrounding countryside remains in the hands of the Karenni resistance forces, including at least four towns — Mese in Mese Township, Shadaw in Shadaw Township, and Ywar Thit and Mawchi in Bawlakhe Township. In May, Myanmar Now reported on a large-scale resistance offensive aimed at retaking the town of Bawlakhe.
Last year, two police stations manned by the Karenni State Police in Nan Mei Khon, a town roughly five miles west of Loikaw, were also targeted by junta warplanes, killing two people and injuring seven others.
