Weekly Analysis: Airstrikes Force Civilians to Flee in Fear

November 10, 2025

The Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) documented ongoing incidents of airstrikes over the last week, as civilians are forced to face the risk of attacks from the air as the regime increases its deliberate targeting of local people and their villages.

Local sources reported that junta troops have been continuously shelling and launching air assaults on Phalu Village, located south of Myawaddy town. On the afternoon of October 30, artillery shells struck the village, followed by an air attack that sent villagers running to nearby safer areas. Fighting has intensified as the junta attempts to regain control along the Myawaddy–Waw Lay road, where resistance forces have mounted strong defences and counterattacks. Sources close to the resistance said the military has suffered heavy losses in the ongoing clashes.

Junta columns have been advancing from In Gyin Myaing Village toward Min Latt Pan, and from Lay Kay Kaw and Mae Wah Kee toward Phalu, encountering near-daily battles with joint resistance forces led by the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA).

As fighting spreads along the Myawaddy–Waw Lay road, thousands of civilians from villages including Lay Kay Kaw, Pa Htee Ka Law, Thi Mae Wah Kee, Min Latt Pan, and Phalu have been displaced, according to humanitarian aid groups. Despite the mounting casualties, the Junta continues to send reinforcements into Myawaddy Township from Mawlamyine, Hpa-An, and Kyondoe areas, fueling daily clashes and deepening the suffering of civilians caught in the conflict.

Intense fighting has created more fears for civilians in Ya They Gu Hill in Myawaddy Township, Karen State, where junta forces have been launching continuous airstrikes following heavy clashes with resistance forces.

According to local military sources, the battle began on October 30 when joint forces of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) attacked junta troops advancing into the Ya They Gu Hill area of the Lay Kay Kaw region. The military suffered casualties during the clash and later called in air support, using a Y-12 aircraft to bomb the surrounding area from around noon.

“A clash broke out between the Burma Army and resistance forces at Ya They Gu Hill. The junta called in air support and dropped bombs over the Mae Wah Kee–Ya They Gu Hill area,” said a local source familiar with the fighting.

The situation in Myawaddy and nearby Kawkareik Townships remains volatile, with daily clashes continuing and the junta deploying reinforcements to the front lines. Additional troops are being transported from Mawlamyine, Hpa-An, and Kyondo areas to replace units suffering heavy losses in the ongoing conflict.

Overview of Main Cases

• Man With a Mental Health Condition is Abducted for Forced Conscription in Mawlamyine, Mon State

Residents in Mawlamyine, Mon State, say men are being picked up one after another as the Junta pushes ahead with its planned “election.” On September 27, at 10 PM, 27-year-old Maung Thet Naing Oo, who lives near Mawlamyine University in Taung Wine Ward, was detained while chewing betel in front of his home.

A passing military patrol truck stopped and seized him on the spot, according to a neighbour. A missing-person post about him briefly appeared on Facebook but was deleted within a day.

• Residents flee as Junta troops move into Pyar Taung villages, Kyaikmayaw Township, Mon State

Local sources report that Junta forces have launched a large operation across the Pyar Taung area of Kyaikmayaw Township, Mon State, prompting civilians to leave their homes. Many of those fleeing are young people, fearful of arrests, forced conscription, and clashes as columns advance.

Since October 26, more than 200 soldiers have entered multiple villages, including Kawt Doon, Kawt Pa Naw, Kawt Wan, Kwan Ngan, Mea Karo, and Katon Si, and conducted searches along roads, on farms, and inside private homes. Residents say troops are reinforcing their units and stopping vehicles for inspections as they push deeper into the area.

• Junta Exploits Administrative Power to Back USDP, Amid Evidence of Coercion and Manipulation

Evidence of coercion and manipulation is emerging in Mon State, showing how the Junta is using its control over local administrative structures to secure support for the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) ahead of the planned elections.

According to information collected by HURFOM field monitors, USDP members are not campaigning on a level playing field. Instead, they are working hand in glove with junta-appointed village and ward administrators, who are calling villagers to meetings, urging them to vote for USDP candidates, and, in some cases, checking household lists to see who is supportive.

This is happening even though the Junta’s own election guidelines state that parties should campaign only during the official period and do so freely and fairly.