Myanmar military forces have raided five villages in Wundwin Township, Mandalay Region following the killings on Saturday of a leader of the pro-junta Pyu Saw Htee militia and his son, who was part of the regime-appointed administration in their village.
Junta troops led by a major from the military regime’s Wundwin Township administration and Pyu Saw Htee militia have been raiding five of the seven villages in Nyaungto Village-tract since Sunday.
The slain Pyu Saw Htee leader was also the Nyaungto Village-tract administrator. He and his son were shot dead by Wundwin Township Revolution Force (WTRF) on Saturday.
The pair had been leading the manhunt for members of the resistance in Wundwin, showing photos of resistance fighters to villagers and asked them to report if they saw them, said the WTRF.
One resident said: “The father and son had been bullying villagers in Nyaungto Village-tract to please the military. Another Pyu Saw Htee member who was a 100-household administrator in Thae Taw Lay Village was also killed. This is why [junta troops] are raiding the villages.”
WTRF was also responsible for killing the 100-household administrator from Thae Taw Lay Village on December 10.
Regime soldiers and Pyu Saw Htee militia looted a house in Thae Taw Lay Village on Sunday, before torching it. Junta troops also abducted 26 villagers from three villages and killed a 60-year-old man before setting fire to his body. The detained villagers have yet to be released. The Irrawaddy could not verify the reports independently.
WTRF resistance fighters also killed the junta-appointed Wundwin Township administrator U Kyaw Moe Oo, as well as police captain Saw Naing O, acting chief of Wundwin police station, in October. Following the killings, the regime detained around 200 locals including people close to the National League for Democracy Party and local businessmen.
Wundwin Township is made up of six wards and 68 village-tracts with 218 villages. Over 200 junta troops are stationed in Wundwin Town, carrying out daily security checks on road users.
