Regime forces burned down an entire village in Sagaing Region’s Myaung Township on Sunday following three days of clashes triggered by a raid on a police station, according to local sources.
Residents of Kyauk Yit, located in the southern part of the township, said that soldiers shot at anyone who attempted to put out fires set by troops occupying the village of roughly 300 inhabitants.
Clashes broke out throughout the area last week after the National Unity Government (NUG) announced on September 7 that the people’s resistance war against Myanmar’s ruling military junta had begun.
Most of the people living in Kyauk Yit had fled as the regime’s forces moved to take control of local villages over the weekend. Ten elderly residents who didn’t manage to escape right away were reported safe on Monday, according to a Kyauk Yit resident who spoke to Myanmar Now.
“Because we had already fled, we didn’t know they had started to burn down the village until we saw the smoke. They also kept firing gunshots,” said the resident.
“No one dared to go back for those left behind because we knew we would be ambushed if we did. They got out by literally crawling out of their homes on their own,” she added.
Last week’s clashes began after a local People’s Defence Force (PDF) carried out a raid on a police station on September 8 in response to the NUG’s declaration of war on the regime.
Fighting broke out in southern Myaung Township and neighbouring Yesagyo Township in Magway Region and lasted for three days in the area around the villages of Shwe Hlan, Myit Son, and Kyauk Yit, which are all located on the eastern bank of the Chindwin River.
A local PDF member said the fire in Kyauk Yit started at around 9:30pm on Sunday and continued for nearly two hours.
“We heard them say they were going to burn down the village, but we didn’t think they would actually do it,” he said, calling the action a sign of the regime’s desperation to bring the country under its control.
Most of the village’s displaced inhabitants have yet to return to their homes to assess the extent of the damage, according to the woman who spoke to Myanmar Now.
“It was really ugly this time. They didn’t have to take it this far. I will never forget this. The PDFs never lay a finger on civilians. It’s just the military that’s been terrorizing our village,” she said.
Three police personnel, including the station chief, were captured during the September 8 raid, while five PDF members were seized during the subsequent clashes.
Local PDF members claim that at least 20 junta soldiers were killed during the three days of fighting. However, this information has not been confirmed.
