An interview with a local man from Kyunhla, about the drone bomb attacks during the advance by the joint force of junta soldiers and Pyu Saw Htee.
Locals have fled as a joint force of the military council and Pyu Saw Htee carries out drone bomb attacks during their raids into Kyunhla and Kanbalu Townships in Sagaing Region.
Kyunhla and Kanbalu Townships are key strongholds of the Pyu Saw Htee militia, which is led by the pro-military monk Wah Thawa. The militia forces are firmly stationed in both townships, maintaining a strong presence in the area.
Shanni News interviewed Ko Maung Kyi (a pseudonym) from Kyunhla about the current situation in the region.
Q: What is the current situation in Kyunhla and Kanbalu Townships?
A: Currently, a combined force of junta soldiers and Pyu Saw Htee militia is conducting raids on villages in the northern part of Kyunhla Township. The joint force, which consists of around 200 members, is reportedly from the No. 6006 Armored Battalion based in Kanbalu. Since yesterday morning, locals have been fleeing as the forces raided the northern area of the town and dropped bombs. Recently, a local man was killed during an airstrike carried out by the joint forces on villages near the western part of the Ta Phan Seik Dam in Kyunhla.
Yesterday, a jet fighter from TadaU dropped two bombs near Takone and Kokekokone villages. On 18 November, the junta dropped bombs in southern part (Kanbalu) on Shwebo-Myitkyina road section. The attack targeted a passenger bus, resulting in the deaths of a monk, two women, and a man, while more than 10 others were injured. These are just some of the recent incidents in the region.
Q: Did the military column set fire to the village houses following the raid?
A: There have been no reports of arson here. However, on 16 and 17 November, the military council set fire to over 250 houses across eight villages in YeU and Taze. A woman was burned alive in one of these villages.
Q: How many internally displaced persons (IDPs) are currently in the area?
A: People from Hluttaik, Takone, Kan Pauk, Kokekokone, Thanpuyarpinsu, Myabonthar, Thayettaw(Bainn), Taungyarseik, Myintharu and Ma Taung villages have fled to safer areas. The total number of IDPs is estimated to exceed 6,000.
Q: In the past, people frequently faced raids and airstrikes in their villages. Now, the junta is conducting attacks using drones. What is your view on this?
A: Monk Wah Thawa has been training his members in drone operations, and I’ve heard they’ve even established a special drone force. They are now conducting bomb attacks using drones. We estimate that the recent attack on a passenger bus along the Shwebo-Myitkyina road may have been carried out by a military group consisting of both junta soldiers and Pyu Saw Htee troops. This group is based in Htan Ta Bin village, near the sugar mill in Zigone town, approximately six miles northwest of Kyikyin village.
The drones used by the junta have six propellers. They carried out drone attacks twice. The people are more scared as they carry out drone attacks. The attacks with jet fighters have limitations. Now these attacks can happen at anytime and anywhere. So, the IDPs are very afraid of drone attacks. The drone attacks have already killed the people in the previous accidents.
Q: Can the relevant revolutionary forces take preventive measures to protect local residents from airstrikes and drone attacks?
A: What we can do is for the people to heed the warnings issued by the revolutionary forces. A warning system is currently in place to alert communities when military columns or aircraft are approaching. The first step is to dig trenches, paying close attention to information about potential drone threats. It is crucial to implement a mandatory plan for digging trenches.
Sent by Shanni Voice
