Junta Airstrike in Eastern Dawei Leaves Woman and Child Injured, Over 800 Civilians Flee Amid Escalating Offensive

May 5, 2025

In a devastating air assault on rural villages in eastern Dawei, junta forces carried out an aerial attack at exactly 11:55 AM on May 4, 2025, leaving at least three civilians injured, including a woman and a young child. Local sources confirmed that around 800 residents of Hnarnar village were forced to flee their homes in fear of further attacks.

According to eyewitnesses, a jet aircraft—believed to be a K-8 fighter—dropped one aerial bomb, followed by several rounds of machine gun fire, on the village without any active fighting in the area. “The jet fired one bomb first and then opened fire with machine guns. One of the women injured was hit in the hands, legs, and head—her condition is very serious. The other two suffered shrapnel wounds,” a local resident said.

The incident has left villagers in shock. “We remained on alert until 6:30 PM, not knowing if more airstrikes were coming. This was unprovoked,” added another local.

One of the victims, Daw Than Aye, aged 45, was reportedly working on her rubber plantation near the village when the bomb struck. She sustained life-threatening injuries and was rushed to Dawei Hospital. “There were other people nearby, but luckily they weren’t hit. After the attack, everyone—about 800 of us—fled immediately to safer areas,” said a member of a local emergency response team working in eastern Dawei.

Since April 26, following the fall of the strategic Htee Hta base near the Thai-Myanmar border to joint PDF/KNU forces, junta troops have been mounting counteroffensives with more than 200 soldiers across Pakayi, Mae Chaung, Pakhat, Leik Kyel Pyaung, Thayet Ngot, Yammazu, and Thingan Tone villages. Armed clashes have been reported in the Thayet Ngot area over the past few days, and more civilians continue to flee.

One humanitarian worker in the region explained:
“The junta is trying to retake control of the Htee Hta base. That’s why they’re using heavy ground offensives along with airstrikes, targeting not just resistance fighters, but civilians too. Our biggest concern is for the displaced communities. Over the last four years, many people from Dawei and southern Tanintharyi have left their homes and never returned. Unlike Mon-Karen border areas where aid sometimes gets through, here it’s nearly impossible. UN agencies can’t reach us, and we rely almost entirely on local CBOs and networks to support the IDPs.”

The situation is made even more dire by the junta’s use of its notorious “4-cuts strategy”—cutting access to food, information, shelter, and recruitment. This has put hundreds of families at risk of starvation, isolation, and constant fear.
“With the monsoon season approaching and no stable shelter or food supply, it’s heartbreaking to think about how these thousands of displaced people will survive,” the humanitarian worker added.

The people of eastern Dawei are now bracing for even more violence, with no end in sight.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News