A 71-year-old man was killed and a 70-year-old man, was injured by the heavy shell fired by the military council on 18 October, to Taung Kyar Inn and Myauk Kyar Inn villages, located in Kyonedoe Township of Karen State, which is within the Karen National Union’s (KNU) Brigade-6 Territory.
At around noon on 18 October, the Tat Thit artillery hill of the Light Infantry Battalion (LIB)-231 under Military Operations Command-12 fired at least six rounds of heavy shells into Taung and Mrauk Kyar Inn villages, according to the military sources.
The shelling killed a 71-year-old man from Myauk Kyar Inn village and injured another 70-year-old man from Taung Kyar Inn village, according to a local woman from Taung Kyar Inn village.
“They fired heavy shells without any fighting. One shell landed behind my house, and more fell in the village. The elderly man injured his leg but wasn’t sent to the clinic due to the minor injury. The elderly man from Myauk Kyar Inn village died on the spot, as his upper body was severely damaged,” the local woman said.
Three heavy shells fired by the military council landed and exploded in Taung Kyar Inn village and another three in Myauk Kyar Inn village. The shelling injured some locals and destroyed some houses and plants and trees, according to the villagers.
In 2023, the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and allied forces raided the police station and a basic education high school in Taung Kyar Inn village, where junta soldiers were stationed.
Following the area clearance operation by the KNLA and allied forces, the military council has frequently fired heavy shells into the village from their camp, despite no fighting.
Due to these circumstances, most locals have fled. Villagers reported that some who returned out of fear have since fled again because of civilian casualties.
Local residents report that heavy shelling has made life insecure for villagers. During the conflicts, the school was destroyed by fire, significantly hindering the education of school-aged children in the village.
Currently, MOC-12 and junta troops based in Kyonedoe are using surveillance drones to monitor Kyonedoe and Kawkareik, and they are frequently firing heavy shells in the area.
Sent by KIC