More residents of Kalay, Sagaing Region, have reportedly started to flee to rural areas as concerns grow among the population that fighting could intensify in Kalay Township.
A resident of Kalay said: “People say that we have to leave the town before 15 December. The situation in the town will worsen while the situation in the villages will improve a little. Some people went to the villages and took what they could with them”
The Kalay District People’s Defense Forces issued a statement on 26 November asking residents living near Myanmar Army camps, battalions, checkpoints, police stations and villages where most residents are members of the junta-backed Pyu Saw Htee militia to leave the town before 15 December, as fighting is expected to intensify in Kalay Township.
The announcement has caused concern among residents to grow daily, so much so that not only people living near the military positions but also those living in the town center have begun to evacuate the city.
In addition, people who had sought shelter in Kalay have also returned to their villages.
A resident who lives near the narcotic drug office in Tarhan ward said: “They warned us to stay 500 yards away from the Myanmar Army positions. Our house is very close to their positions, so we need to evacuate. The people who live next to our house have also evacuated”
On the other hand, the residents said that the military council troops had threatened to burn down the houses if people fled their homes.
Sent by KMG.