At least 530 village houses were burned in Myinmu Township by Myanmar junta troops on Saturday, displacing many Sagaing Region residents.
A man in his 50s was killed and two younger men were injured when around 200 junta troops raided Let Htoke Taw village, according to a resistance member.
“One man was killed and two were wounded when junta troops opened fire on the villagers,” he said.
Let Htoke Taw had around 600 houses.
Junta troops shelled the village when residents attempted to put out the fires.
“Troops fired two 60mm shells when we tried to put out the fire,” a villager said.
The soldiers usually passed Let Htoke Taw when moving between their outposts near Nat Yay Kan and Boe Min Gyi Kin villages, according to residents.
“We didn’t expect them to raid our village because they normally bypassed us. We fled in a rush and didn’t have time to bring anything with us, only the clothes we were wearing,” he said.
The same troops raided Gway Pin Taw village on Monday and continued east with villagers fleeing their homes to avoid indiscriminate junta killings and arbitrary arrests.
Let Htoke Taw villagers cannot return to their homes as junta troops are still near the village.
More than 3,000 people need food and medical aid, according to a resistance member.
Sagaing Region is an anti-regime stronghold with junta troops carrying out repeated arson attacks.
Kan Taw in Myinmu Township was set alight by junta troops last year, destroying around 550 houses.
At least 1,300 houses have been burned down in the township since the 2021 coup, according to Sagaing sources.
