Woman, two girls killed in Myanmar junta attack on Buddhist festival

A paramotor attack by regime forces killed a woman and two girls at a traditional pagoda festival in Mandalay Region’s Ngazun Township on Monday, according to local sources. The attack took place at around 10am as residents of the village of Talinkone were gathered to make offerings to Buddhist monks as part of the festival, a local man told Myanmar Now. “It was a traditional village religious festival. In the morning, we were offering food to the monks. They bombed right as we were offering food. The bombs didn’t hit the gathering directly, but landed nearby. Young girls died there,” the man said. According to residents, three paramotors were used in the attack. The deceased were identified as a woman in her 20s and two girls, aged eight and 16. They reportedly died of injuries to their heads and abdomens and were buried in the village cemetery later the same day. Talinkone is located about three miles west of the town of Ngazun, on the eastern bank of the Ayeyarwady River. Most of its nearly 1,000 inhabitants make a living from farming and fishing. Currently, most villages in the area are deserted due to recent attacks by regime forces. Thousands of residents from villages along the Ayeyarwady River, including Talinkone, Htanaungkone, Mayoekone, and Yaesin, are fleeing the conflict. Last Friday (February 20), resistance forces based in Ngazun Township intercepted and attacked junta troops travelling in a convoy of around 15 motorcycles near Son, a village located in the southwest of the township, according to local sources. “They were returning after buying food. Many died on their side, both instantly and later at the hospital. A member from the resistance side also fell,” said a man living in the area. “There were also some Pyu with them,” he added, referring to members of the military-backed Pyu Saw Htee militia. In a statement, the anti-junta Special Task Force (Ngazun) claimed that six regime soldiers, two police officers, and two Pyu Saw Htee militiamen were killed in the attack. It added that seven resistance groups took part in the clash, which lasted around 20 minutes. The statement also said that three guns, a drone, and ammunition were seized during the battle. A Ngazun resident displaced by the fighting said that many local civilians are facing growing hardship, as some have not been able to return to their homes in two years. “We are taking refuge in nearby forests and villages. We are in urgent need of food supplies. As commodity prices rise, people are facing serious economic difficulties,” he said. Around 10,000 people are believed to have been forced to flee their homes in Ngazun Township, which is about 40 miles west of the city of Mandalay.

Woman, two girls killed in Myanmar junta attack on Buddhist festival

The attack on a village in Mandalay Region’s Ngazun Township took place as residents were offering food to monks, sources said

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