Eight civilians have been killed and thousands have fled their homes amid junta raids in the resistance stronghold of Myaing Township in Magwe Region over the past week.
More than 200 soldiers from Pale Township in Sagaing Region raided at least 10 villages in northern Myaing.
Residents said troops torched houses and killed eight civilians in a week, including those who were hit by artillery, shot dead by troops and two older people who could not flee their house.
“They used artillery, took food, clothes and valuables and de-stroyed homes,” said a resident.
Troops twice raided Let Yet Ma village, which was abandoned. The village had over 1,500 houses, two-thirds of which were burned down, according to villagers. The village monastery caught fire and its monks fled, a volunteer helping the displaced told The Irrawaddy.
Myaing has about 10,000 civilians sheltering in seven camps and the numbers are rising.
Volunteers are asking for food, other humanitarian assistance and help to rehabilitate civilians but they have not disclosed the camps’ locations amid fears of junta attacks.
Myaing in northwest Magwe borders Pale, Salingyi and Yinmabin townships in Sagaing Region, where fierce clashes continue be-tween regime forces and resistance groups.
On Thursday, junta troops advanced into southern Myaing and continued burning houses. Phone lines have been cut.
Magwe Region is facing a heavy junta offensive, like other re-sistance strongholds.
Since the coup, the junta has killed at least 1,850 civilians, in-cluding more than 100 children and arrested more than 13,000 people.
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