Air assaults in Ye Township injures villagers and forces evacuation
May 11, 2023
HURFOM: Although there was no armed conflict in the area, the Junta council launched airstrikes repeatedly bombing a village in Ye Township, Mon State.
The village was bombed twice on the night of May 7th and then again in the morning of May 8th.
The sudden aerial attack resulted in at least 8 local villagers being seriously injured, 3 were in critical condition. It is estimated that 500 villagers have fled their homes.
War Pa Tae village aka Chaung Hna Khwa village, is a Karen ethnic majority village located in Bay Lamu village tract in the southeast of Ye Township, Mon State.
Naw ….. ….. … 35 years old, is one of the villagers fleeing the attack, he said that the Junta council started the aerial attacks at 11:17pm on May 7. “We heard the sound of a jet plane at around 11:00 p.m. We immediately realized it was not a typical plane sound, and we ran down to hide in the ditch next to our houses. As expected, the sound of a bomb explosion began near the school.“
There has not been any fighting or conflict around Chaung Hnit Kwa, War Pa Tae, or the Tha Pa Taw villages. “I can’t understand why they launched an airstrike,” said one member of a local religious association.
As many as eight villagers were injured in the bombings, three were seriously injured. Two villagers from Tha Pa Taw were also injured on the morning of May 8.
Three members of the PDF were killed and at least five were injured. However, the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM) is still trying to confirm this information.
At least five houses, one school, and other buildings were destroyed. There are approximately 500 people living in the three villages, Chaung Hnit Kwa, Bay Lamu and Tha Pa Taw. According to independent sources all the residents have now fled the area and are hiding in the jungles southeast of Ye Township (west side of the mountain). They are in areas that rescue and social charity groups cannot reach at the moment.
Children, women, and the elderly are the most affected by this latest action of the junta. Food, drinking water, and accommodation are urgently needed, said a member of KNU’s 16th Medical Battalion Team.