Armed clash in Mell Pa Lee forces thousand of villagers to flee

January 21, 2025

HURFOM: In the first week of January, 2024, the Karen National Liberation Army and the People’s Defense Force attacked a military base in Mell Pa Lee village tract, Bilin Township, Mon State.

The armed clash forced 1,200 villagers from eight villages in the Mell Pa Lee village tract and four villages in Ah Su Chaung village tract to flee their homes.

“The villagers fled at the start of the armed clash. Now, the number of displaced persons has reached more than 1,200. Women and children urgently need medicine. The KNU has provided some support but it isn’t enough,” said a displaced villager from Mell Pa Lee village.

On January 17^th, the military junta launched air assaults three times, and maintained constant artillery attacks.

A local villager from Ah Su Chaung village sustained an injury and six houses were destroyed by the attack, according to the Thaton District KNU.

At about 5 pm on January 16^th, the junta launched a drone attack on a middle school operated by the KNU and the roof of the school was damaged in the attack.

“As the children had already gone home, no child was injured in the attack,” said Pa Do Saw Aye Nile, the Secretary of the Thaton District KNU.

Currently, the displaced villagers have had to take shelter in nearby forests, mountains and rock caves.

Written by Modinator · Filed Under News