More than 2,000 villagers in Shwebo Township, Sagaing Region, fled their homes as Myanmar’s junta forces torched their village in retribution for an ambush by people’s defense forces (PDF) on Monday.
At 8:30am on Monday, three resistance groups ambushed around 200 troops between Zeephyukone and Ywarzoe villages, said the Snake Eyes PDF, which is based in Shwebo.
During an hour’s fighting, at least 15 junta troops were killed and many others injured and no PDF casualties were reported, a resistance representative told The Irrawaddy on Tuesday.
Ywarzoe village was subsequently occupied by junta forces using artillery.
Around 70 villagers hiding in bunkers were detained and two were shot dead, the resistance group said.
The villagers were later released before houses were burned.
The Irrawaddy could not independently verify any of the reports.
The Snake Eyes PDF member said villagers were told to leave their homes within an hour before troops burned the village.
He said troops were still deployed in the village and were burning houses on Tuesday morning.
Around half of the houses in the village had been burned, he added.
“The more civilian houses they destroy, the more people revolt. People who have lost everything have joined the resistance,” the Snake Eyes representative said.
The regime is facing attacks from PDFs and many ethnic armed groups across the country.
Meanwhile, the junta continues its atrocities including arrests, torture, massacres, arbitrary killings, using civilians as human shields, shelling and bombing of residential areas, looting and burning houses and committing acts of sexual violence, especially in Magwe and Sagaing regions and Chin, Kachin, Shan, Kayah and Karen states, where resistance attacks are most frequent.
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