Junta’s artillery attack injures six in Kyaik Hto

June 6, 2023

HURFOM: According to local residents, at least 6 people, including a 6-year-old child, were injured when artillery shells exploded after hitting a house in Hle Lan Kuu village, Kyaik Hto township, Mon State.

Local observers noted that the attack was perpetrated by the 402nd artillery unit based in Thaton.

A large shell exploded at U Tun Aye’s house in Hle Lan Kuu village at around 1:00 in the afternoon on May 31st.

U Saw Tun, 30, Myint Myat Lin, 13, U Tun Tun Lin, 36, Ma Yoon Yati Tun, 6, Mg Soe San, 15, and Daw Win Sanda Myint, 30, were all injured and some were taken to Kyaik Hto public hospital.

“The junta council’s way of fighting has now changed a lot. Because they have fewer soldiers, their strategy is to fire artillery weapons from their base to clear the area. This is where people are getting hurt. The weapons they fired fell directly on top of the house and children and adults were hit,” said a local resident.

In the last 3 months, the death rate of civilians has steadily increased due to increased incidents of armed conflict in Kyaik Hto Township.

According to the field reports from Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) network, there were 2 deaths in February, 6 deaths in March and April, and 4 in May.

Written by Aung Ko Latt HURFOM · Filed Under News