Junta troops shot seven civilians dead before a predawn raid on a village in Sagaing Region’s western Wetlet Township on Thursday, local sources said.
The seven women and men killed were vendors who had left the village before dawn to travel to a market, the sources said.
They encountered junta infantry preparing to attack their village after they had left it.
Local volunteers found the bodies of four women and three men on Shwebo-Monywa road between Tha Ma Yoe and Shwe Pan Kone villages. The bodies had multiple gunshot wounds, the volunteers said.
“The victims were killed on the road while they were on their way to the market before dawn. All of them were vendors,” one volunteer said.
The body of a male vendor shot dead by junta troops was found dumped under a bridge.
Three female vendors and a male trailer driver were shot dead near Shwe Pan Kone village market.
“One of the female victims was able to speak when we arrived at the scene at around 7.00 am, but unfortunately she passed away due to severe blood loss,” the volunteer said.
The body of another woman was found Tha Ma Yoe village’s pagoda. She was from Ku To Kaing village.
A male resident of Tha Ma Yoe was shot dead near the village after his trailer was forced to stop by junta troops.
After killing seven civilians, junta troops raided Tha Ma Yoe village, which is located in a resistance stronghold of Sagaing Region.
Many residents were trapped in the village, another source said. At least five people, including a pregnant woman, were wounded after junta forces opened fire on residents trying to flee their homes, one village resident said.
“They arrested at least 30 villagers from our village and used them as human shields. They also took all mobile phones and cash from the detainees,” he said.
At the same time, a second junta column from nearby Ayadaw Township raided Ku To Kaing village and arrested about 20 residents, sources said.
They said the two junta columns integrated near Ku To Kaing Village and moved on to Ayadaw Township’s Ngwe Twin village.
Junta forces looted valuable items and cash from shops during their raids on both villages, residents said.
Tha Ma Yoe Village was torched by the junta infantry in March, destroying at least 276 houses.
