Residents of Pulin village, located between Mon and Karen states, are concerned about their safety following clashes on October 12, as military columns continue moving through the area to reinforce troops and launch operations, locals said.
Military columns moved through Pulin and nearby villages before reaching the Ahbit military base on October 20. Military vehicles have also been seen along the roads, a woman from Kya In Seik Gyi Township said.
“Military columns are still present almost everywhere. People like us from nearby villages have had to turn back when we encounter them while going to our plantations or trying to sell rubber. The road remains closed. Some people are still in the village, so we have to be careful to keep the lights off at night,” she said.
Small clashes between junta troops and joint Mon-Karen revolutionary forces continued through October 19.
On the afternoon of October 18, the military launched airstrikes around Pulin village. Artillery Battalion No. 308, based in Ahbit, has also been shelling the area daily.
Residents of Pulin have fled the entire village, while people from Kale and Tagundaing villages also remain displaced, according to residents of nearby villages.
The military has told displaced residents to return home, but none have returned because the situation remains unstable.
“When the fighting first started, some people stayed behind because they thought the military columns would come in and then leave, and they did not have time to escape. People in nearby villages still do not dare to travel. Some Pulin residents who returned to the village have also been arrested. On the night of October 13, a woman from the village was injured by artillery shelling,” the woman said.
Local residents believe the military is preparing to send more troops and launch further operations after suffering casualties during clashes with joint Mon-Karen revolutionary forces on October 12, 13 and 14.
As of October 20, no vehicles were traveling along the Ahbit-Kya In Seik Gyi road, and movement along the route remained difficult, according to local sources.
IMNA