Junta Forces Escalate Brutal Attacks on Villages in Kawkareik and Kyon Doe Townships, Leaving Civilians Dead and Wounded

May 14, 2025

Kawkareik Township, Karen State

The situation for civilians in Kawkareik Township, Karen State, continues to deteriorate as junta battalions intensify their assaults across Kawkareik and Kyon Doe Townships. Over the past three days, indiscriminate artillery shelling and drone bomb attacks by junta forces have killed at least two civilians—including a young child—and wounded five more, according to HURFOM field reports and local sources.

On the morning of 11 May, Light Infantry Battalion No. 546, stationed in Kyon Doe, fired multiple artillery shells into Naung Tamarn village without any provocation. The shelling struck residential areas, killing a young child on the spot and injuring two adult villagers. Witnesses described scenes of panic and devastation as families scrambled for safety amid the barrage.

Later the same day, junta troops escalated their violence by deploying drones to drop bombs on Naung Nine village in Kawkareik Township. A 50-year-old male villager was killed instantly in the drone attack, and three others suffered serious injuries. According to a local health worker, the wounded are now receiving emergency medical treatment, though access to care remains severely limited due to the ongoing fighting.

“The junta’s forces are using artillery and drone strikes indiscriminately,” said a Kyon Doe resident. “On May 11, a child in Naung Tamarn was killed, and two adults were injured by heavy shelling. Then later that afternoon, they bombed Naung Nine village from the air, killing another civilian and injuring three more. It’s devastating.”

While junta ground forces have largely withdrawn from direct patrols following heavy losses in late April, they have shifted to a brutal strategy of aerial and long-range attacks. Heavy shelling, drone bombings, and surveillance flights continue daily along the main Asia Highway and in surrounding areas. Residents report that jet fighters often strike villages at night, causing widespread fear and displacement.

According to HURFOM sources, ongoing fighting between the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) alliance forces and junta troops—including Infantry Battalion No. 97 and other battalions stationed in Kawkareik town—has severely destabilized the region. Exchanges of artillery fire could be heard throughout the morning of 13 May, particularly near key military outposts and camps.

“After the junta lost about 30 troops during battles in early May, their ground movements became limited,” a source in the conflict area explained. “Now they rely on airstrikes, artillery, and drone attacks. Every night we hear jets flying overhead, and every day, artillery shells land somewhere. It’s relentless.”

The deliberate targeting of villages, civilians, and community spaces is part of the junta’s intensified campaign of terror, aiming to punish and displace communities perceived to support resistance groups. Local humanitarian workers have described the situation as dire, with increasing numbers of newly displaced civilians unable to access food, clean water, or medical assistance.

The Kawkareik and Kyon Doe areas have seen some of the most serious human rights violations documented by HURFOM in recent months. The junta’s attacks have forced thousands to flee their homes, compounding an already desperate humanitarian crisis.

Written by HURFOM · Filed Under News