Four civilians were killed by the military council’s heavy shelling in two days in Gangaw and Htilin Townships in Gangaw District of Magway Region, according to local residents.
On 20 January, the heavy shell fired by the military council hit and killed a woman and her child in west Gangaw village. On 21 January, the military council’s shelling also killed a man and his son in Taw Yaung village, local residents said.
A local from Gangaw said: “The heavy shells indiscriminately fired by the military council landed and exploded on the civilian houses. The military council’s indiscriminate firing of 120-mm mortar resulted in the civilian casualties after it suffered heavy loss in the ambush in Gangaw.”
On 19 January, a combined force of Gangaw District defense forces— FRF-Gangaw, YPDF, KKG and Gangaw District PDF—ambushed a military column with a strength of 50 soldiers which withdrew from Myitthar Dam in Gangaw to the downtown. Seven military council soldiers were killed in the ambush.
The military council which suffered heavy casualties indiscriminately fired heavy shells towards Yandayar hill, to the south-east of Gangaw Township, killing a woman and her 10-month-old child and wounding two men in their 60s and 80s, local residents said.
On the night of 21 January, the heavy shell fired from Shwehtee hall in Hteelin Township killed a man and his child and wounded two others in Tawyaung village.
Local defense forces said that the military council forces are frequently firing heavy weapons into the Gangaw District, where the armed resistance is strong, causing a large number of civilian casualties.
Since the coup, the number of civilian deaths has exceeded 300 in Magway Region, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).
Sent by Than Lwin Times.