Myanmar’s military kills two civilians as it bolsters defences in eastern Sagaing

Regime forces killed two civilians and injured at least five others in the eastern part of Sagaing Region’s Shwebo Township on Tuesday, according to local sources. The victims were residents of two villages, Ohn Pauk and Mauk Tet, located between Shwebo and the town of Kyauk Myaung, on the western bank of the Ayeyarwady River. Early Tuesday morning, two junta columns—one stationed at Shwebo University and the other based in Kyauk Myaung—converged on Ohn Pauk, where they shot and killed a 39-year-old man with mental health issues, locals told Myanmar Now. At the same time, the regime forces fired heavy artillery into neighbouring villages as they engaged in clashes with resistance forces based in the area, the sources added. “A shell landed between two small shops in Mauk Tet, killing an elderly woman,” said a humanitarian officer for the National Unity Government-led administration in eastern Shwebo Township. “They fired many shells, not just one or two. Five people were also hit as they tried to flee. One of them is in critical condition,” the officer added. By 11am, the two columns withdrew to their respective bases, taking a number of villagers with them, according to residents. It was unclear whether the captives were suspected of having links to the resistance, or if they were being used as human shields. Resistance sources in the area say the military has been strengthening its positions in eastern Shwebo since losing control of Singu Township, located on the opposite bank of the Ayeyarwady River in Mandalay Region, earlier this month. “In the Shwebo area, they’ve bolstered their presence in villages west of the river around Kyauk Myaung, including Malar, Makhauk, Sepinkyun, Kularma, and Letkaukkya,” said an information officer for the Sagaing-based Myanmar Defence Force resistance group. “They have also been transporting a lot of supplies from Mandalay Palace to the Light Infantry Battalion 12 base [in Kyauk Myaung], making at least five trips using Mi-17 helicopters,” he added. There have also been reports that pro-regime Pyu Saw Htee militia groups previously based in villages along the Mu River, in the western part of the township, have been moved closer to the town of Shwebo. Meanwhile, the military has been relentlessly bombarding Singu Township since it fell to the Mandalay People’s Defence Force (MDY-PDF) on July 17, forcing many residents to flee to Shwebo. Singu is the first township in Mandalay Region to be captured by forces opposed to the military junta that seized power more than three years ago. On Wednesday, the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, an ally of the MDY-PDF, announced that it had taken control of Mogok, a ruby-mining town about 75 miles northeast of Singu.

Myanmar’s military kills two civilians as it bolsters defences in eastern Sagaing

The incident occurred as the junta digs in near Shwebo, which borders the first township in Mandalay Region to fall to resistance forces

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