At least four civilians were killed during a military raid on a village in Mandalay Region’s Natogyi Township on Monday night, according to local sources and a relative of the victims.
At around midnight, junta troops entered Shaw Hpyu village while firing their weapons, forcing residents to flee.
Four members of the same household were killed on the spot when the soldiers fired into their home during the raid, a relative of the victims told Myanmar Now
Two more members of the family—50-year-old Daw Nyunt and 30-year-old Kyaw Thu Khin—were seriously injured in the shooting and at the time of reporting were undergoing treatment at Mandalay General Hospital.
Also shot in the leg was an 18-month-old boy, Zwe Htet Maw, whose condition could not be confirmed at the time of reporting.
The deceased included Bo Khin, 76; Daw Than, 75; Maung Tun, around 50 and Maw Htay, 30.
Junta troops buried them on Tuesday morning at the Natogyi cemetery, their relative said.
“All seven members of the household were affected,” a local said. “Now the burial is over, so there is nothing we can do.”
The family, which operated a small oil mill, were known supporters of the National League for Democracy, whose government was ousted in the February 1 military coup. Locals told Myanmar Now that they believe their home had been pointed out to the military by informants.
“We want to tell [the informants] not to cry when their turn comes,” another local said.
In total, Myanmar Now spoke to seven people from the area of the raid. They reported that other locals had been injured by the gunfire, but the extent of their injuries and the number of people affected was unknown at the time of reporting.
Three of the local sources said that just before the raid on Shaw Hpyu, the junta soldiers—who have been occupying the village’s school—had been seen drinking and arguing. The troops, who are rotated out every 20 days and patrol the area at night, had not previously raided the community.
“This new group arrived here around two days ago. This incident happened after the change of the team,” one of the locals said.
At the time of reporting, troops from Myingyan town had been sent as reinforcements to support those occupying the Shaw Hpyu school. As a result, villagers who fled on Monday night said they dared not return and those who remained in the village have been afraid to leave their homes.
In addition to their base in the school, the junta’s troops have also been stationed in recent months near a Mytel telecommunications tower on the outskirts of the village. Last week, these troops confronted members of the Natogyi People’s Defence Force (PDF) who had approached the tower, but the PDF members escaped, according to locals.
The Natogyi PDF reported that they had no confrontation with the junta’s armed forces on Monday night.
Myanmar Now called Maj-Gen Soe Naing Oo, the chairperson of the military’s so-called True News Information Team, to obtain comment on the deadly raid in Shaw Hpyu but he did not return the calls.
