Renewed Clashes and Indiscriminate Attacks by Junta Forces Create Chaos and Displacement in Yebyu Township, Dawei District

April 21, 2025

Since the morning of April 20, 2025, intense clashes have erupted between junta forces and resistance groups in Minn Thar village tract, Kanbauk Sub-Town, Yebyu Township, Dawei District. Local residents reported heavy exchanges of gunfire between the junta troops stationed in Minn Thar and resistance fighters, including pro-junta militias. Gunfire could be heard from 8:00 AM until at least 1:00 PM.

Around noon, the fighting escalated when junta troops from the Mawrawaddy Naval Command and Light Infantry Battalion No. 282 launched artillery strikes toward nearby villages, including Sinku and Yapu. Villagers said shells landed dangerously close to civilian homes in Sinku and within the gardens and farmland west of Yapu village. Fortunately, no casualties were initially reported.

“Junta forces—particularly units from Light Infantry Battalion No. 282, LIB 405, and the Naval Command—have been conducting military operations in this area for at least a week now. According to one local, the military has reinforced its troops with hundreds of additional personnel. “They’ve been using heavy artillery to randomly shell our villages in the name of their security,” the villager explained.

“Mortar rounds keep landing inside our communities, and it’s becoming impossible for us to stay. Every time fighting breaks out, they deliberately target civilians. That’s why no one feels safe in their own home anymore. And after the clashes, they come in, loot our belongings, and sometimes even burn down houses. This is the cruel tactic they use. Our people are suffering deeply,” said a military source from Yebyu, familiar with the situation.

On the afternoon of April 19, a junta reconnaissance aircraft was also spotted flying over villages along the Ye-Dawei road near Kanbauk Sub-Town, sparking further fear among the locals. Later, junta troops were seen re-entering Minn Thar village by water route after the fighting had quieted down. According to residents, the troops blocked villagers from leaving and began calling back those who had fled during the clashes.

“They came back right after the fighting stopped. Now, soldiers are stationed inside the village. People aren’t allowed to leave, and some who escaped are being told to return,” said a woman from a nearby village.

The atmosphere remains tense. Many villages surrounding Minn Thar, along with those near the Ye–Dawei motorway, are on high alert, fearing that violence could break out again at any moment. While vehicles are still operating along the road as of this evening, drivers and residents expressed deep concern over the lack of rule of law and the threat of sudden military violence.

“The road may look normal, but things are far from safe. The military doesn’t follow any law anymore. As drivers, we’re just trying to survive every day,” said one local transport operator.

The instability caused by these ongoing attacks—especially the junta’s indiscriminate shelling and aerial threats—has displaced a large number of civilians in Yebyu Township. With no guarantee of safety, hundreds of families are now forced to abandon their homes, seeking refuge wherever they can. The humanitarian toll continues to rise as junta forces push deeper into populated areas, leaving fear, destruction, and displacement in their wake.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News