August 22nd, 2022
The military council army bombards Bantbwaykone village and burns the village after a combined force of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), the Katha Township People’s Defense Force (PDF) and Kyaukhtonegyi PDF attacked the military council troops stationed at the monastery and in Bantbwaykone village in Kyaukhtonegyi Station in Katha Township of Sagaing Region at around 5 am today, according to locals.
“The military is carrying out the bombardments and burning of the villages two hours after the fighting as it suffered heavy casualties in the fighting,” an official of the Katha Township PDF told the KNG.
“The morning fighting stopped at around nine am. The military dropped five bombs on the village at around 11 am. The military sent the troops from Katha for reinforcement. On arrival of reinforcements, the military burned the village. I saw the big smoke even from downtown Katha. The houses were burned down. I don’t know how many houses were burned down. The monastery was also burned down. I don’t know exactly the latest situation as no one can return to the village,” an official of the Katha Township PDF said.
Currently, the military council troops are still burning Bantbwaykone village. It is still unknown how many houses in the village have been burned down as the military is still burning the village.
No.309 military division stationed in Katha fired many rounds of heavy shells into Bantbwaykone village.
Three heavy shells landed in Thitphyukone village near Bantbwaykone village and killed four villagers. Four victims remain unidentified.
The military bombarded Bantbwaykone village for around 15 minutes by two jet fighters.
Intense fighting took place for around three hours. Four PDF members got minor injuries. The military burned the village and carried out indiscriminate firing of heavy weapons as it suffered heavy casualties.
Tension mounts in Katha Township as No.121 military division from northern Shan State, the battalions under No.309 military division from Katha and the military columns from Shwegu have entered the east and west of Ayeyarwaddy Region in Katha Township since early August.
Fighting has been taking place regularly along the Ayeyarwaddy River in Katha Township since the military council’s six ships loaded with soldiers and rations left Mandalay for Bhamo on August 8th.
Sent by KNG