Myanmar junta forces shoot fleeing civilians, killing pregnant woman and daughter

Three people, including a pregnant woman and her 10-year-old daughter, were shot dead in Mandalay Region’s Myingyan Township on Monday after junta troops entered their village and opened fire on fleeing civilians, according to sources. The incident occurred in Myaukkone, a village located about six miles east of the town of Myingyan. The victims were identified as Thin Swe, who was six months pregnant at the time of her death; her daughter, Su Latt Yoon; and another woman named Lei. “They [junta troops] entered the village and opened fire on us as we were fleeing. There was no battle—they just started shooting civilians,” a resident told Myanmar Now. Thin Swe and her daughter were near the edge of the village when the soldiers arrived and started shooting, while Lei was shot and killed near the entrance to her house, the resident said. He added that Thin Swe and Su Latt Yoon both died upon arrival at the hospital, while Thin Swe’s husband, who was also shot, survived his injuries. The regime has stepped up its offensive operations in Myingyan Township to gain territorial control ahead of elections that it plans to hold later this year. As a result, residents of several villages along the Myingyan-Mandalay road, including Myaukkone, Khin Bagan, Theataw, and Te, have been forced to flee. Mandalay Region’s Myingyan, Natogyi, and Taungtha townships, all located east of the Ayeyarwady River, are regarded as resistance strongholds. In recent months, however, junta troops and pro-regime Pyu Saw Htee militias have moved to take control of villages between Myingyan and Natogyi, according to locals. Major clashes were reported in Thamonekaing, a village about five miles east of Myingyan, on Tuesday, with the junta using airstrikes and heavy artillery against resistance forces active in the area. “The junta wants to hold elections, and they think it will benefit them politically if they can seize the eastern part of Myingyan. That’s why they’re pushing their troops into this area. Their forces here are quite substantial,” said a local man. However, the old Myingyan-Natogyi road remains under the control of resistance forces, he added. Anti-junta groups launched a major offensive, the Myingyan District Special Operation, southwest of Mandalay in August 2024. Myingyan District includes Myingyan, Natogyi, and Taungtha townships.

Myanmar junta forces shoot fleeing civilians, killing pregnant woman and daughter

The incident occurred east of Myingyan in Mandalay Region, where the regime is intensifying its efforts to regain control ahead of planned elections

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