Repeated Burma Army mortar shelling caused casualties and displaced local villagers

On 20 March 2025, six cars and four motorcycles of the SAC [State Administration Council,[2] also referred to as the Burma Army[3]] arrived at Rk--- village, Waw Township, Bago Region ([Hsaw Htee] Shwegyin Township, Kler Lwee Htoo [Nyaunglebin] District).[4] They brought and unloaded four 4-foot-high boxes, including materials and mortars, at the monastery. Mortar shelling was often conducted by the SAC into Gn---, Zm---, Js---, Kr---, and Rk--- villages, Bago Region [an area under the control of the Burma Army], and mostly it landed and exploded on Ng--- village. Consequently, over 2,000 Ng--- villagers had to flee and relocate frequently. Moreover, over 5,500 villagers in Jn---, Sj---, Ld---, Dl---, Nj---, Ik---, and Ng--- villages, Kha Ywel village tract[5] had to flee and relocate frequently because [the SAC], based in Theinzayet army camp, under Light Infantry Division (LID)[6] #44-controlled MOC [Military Operations Command][7] #310 and LIB [Light Infantry Battalion][8] #207, conducted shelling frequently. Therefore, the villagers faced livelihood difficulties and insufficient healthcare.

On 21 March 2025, at 9:33 am, militia soldiers from the house of Aung Gyi, who is a leader of [Burma Army-affiliated] militia soldiers, indiscriminately fired an 81 mm mortar shell from the front yard of his house [garden] to Rk--- village, Waw Township, Bago Region (Shwegyin Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District) [an area under the control of the Burma Army]. The mortar shell landed and exploded on a monastery’s dining hall, located at the northern part of Ng--- village, Kha Ywel village tract, Kyeh Htoh (Kyaikto) Township, Doo Tha Htoo (Thaton) District (Mon State). As a result, a monk named U[9] G--- was hit by the shrapnel of the explosion on his head and entire body. He died on the spot. Due to the explosion of the mortar shell, two other monks were also slightly injured. The explosion of the mortar shell caused severe damage to the entire monastery. Ng--- village is located in Waw Township, on the other side of the Sittang River [opposite Rk--- village].

Because the SAC often conducted shelling and drone strikes, the local villagers needed to flee and relocate [where they thought it would be safer for them]. Furthermore, there was no humanitarian organisation that came and provided support, so [the villagers] had to face a difficult situation. Moreover, the extreme increase in commodity prices and the scarcity of job opportunities became huge challenges for the local villagers. Mainly, [the villagers] had to go to Theinzayet Town, which is [distance censored for security] away to buy commodities. Regarding this, if they bought a lot of [commodities], [soldiers] at the SAC checkpoint seized the commodities randomly; [the villagers] were being fined due to the commodities, and [SAC] also threatened them [the villagers]. Because of that, the shopkeepers in the villages faced difficulties to store commodities for selling. So, it caused livelihood problems in the villages.

On 24 April [2025], at 2 pm, SAC MOC #310 fired two 120 mm mortar shells. The mortar shells landed and exploded on In--- part, Ng--- village, and the shrapnel hit 34-year-old Ko[10] W---, who was taking a bath at a well. When Ko W--- was taking a bath at the well, he heard the sound of the mortar shelling conducted by MOC. However, he assumed that it was a usual shelling like previous times [which had landed elsewhere, outside of the village], so he did not flee. When he heard the sound of mortar shelling above his head, he quickly fled into an old bunker near the well, but the shrapnel hit his left foot. Ko R---, the younger brother of Ko W---, came to carry him. At that time, MOC #310 fired another mortar shell, and that mortar shell hit bamboos and exploded not too far and not too near to the first one that had landed: it was only around ten yards away. Regarding the explosion of the mortar shell [shrapnel] that hit Ko W---, it hit branches of a lebbek tree [siris tree] near the well and exploded. The distance between the tree and Ko W--- was around two yards, so if it had landed on the ground, maybe he would have lost his life. The SAC conducted shelling constantly, and when the sound of the shelling stopped, the authorities in Kha Ywel village tract transported Ko W---, who was injured by the shelling, to a [self-funded] clinic that is connected [cooperates] with the NUG [National Unity Government][11] in Kyeh Htoh Township, and he received treatment there. [Ko W--- returned home after receiving treatment, but he can no longer walk comfortably as before.]

The tree that the mortar shell hit and exploded was very close the house of 68-year-old U[12] L---, who is the father of Ko W---. Therefore, the house was also destroyed by the shrapnel, and almost all of the materials inside the house were destroyed. Furthermore, the house of the younger brother of Ko W---, located at the western part of their father’s house, was also hit by the shrapnel. The SAC often conducted shelling, and it frequently caused destruction. SAC LIB #207 and MOC #310, based in Theinzayet Town, are under the control of LID #44. LIB #208 and MOC #310 are close; only a fence separates them. At the other side of Ng--- village and the western part of the Sittang River, there is Waw Township, Bago Region (Hsaw Htee Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District) and the SAC army sheltered in the villages that are located there.

The SAC army, which sheltered on the other side of the Sittang River, often conducted shelling into Kyeh Htoh Township, Doo Tha Htoo District, located at the eastern part of the Sittang River. Most of the mortar shells landed and exploded on Kha Ywel village tract, Kyeh Htoh Township. Therefore, the mortar shells often landed and exploded on Ld---, Jn---, Ng---, and Ik--- villages, and it often caused damage as well. The SAC not only often conducted shelling but also used drones [to conduct air strikes and do reconnaissance].

On 12 December 2025, around 2 pm, the State Security and Peace Commission (SSPC),[13] based in KNU [Karen National Union][14]-controlled Kyeh Htoh Township at a gate [checkpoint] located on Than Ta Tan [Iron Bridge], fired two 120 mm mortar shells into A Lu village tract. The mortar shells landed and exploded in Jt--- village, A Lu village tract, Kyeh Htoh Township and the vicinity of Wp--- village, A Lu village tract. The mortar shells killed two villagers and injured one villager [in Jt—village]. The two villagers who were killed were the primary breadwinners for their families, and their family members faced livelihood challenges and displacement following their deaths.

Right after the SSPC mortar shelling, around 60 SSPC soldiers conducted a military offensive into Jt--- village, A Lu village tract, and they stationed at a cemetery located at the entrance of Jt--- village. At 2:05 pm, they fired around seven 120 mm mortar shells into Jt--- village without any skirmish happening. The mortar shells landed and exploded in the northern part of the village in the front yard of the house of U O---. The shrapnel of the mortar shells hit 58-year-old U Q---, who was visiting U O---, at his right ear, and he died on the spot.

Another 54-year-old named U H---, who was visiting Jt--- village and was the one closest to the place where the mortar shells landed, was hit on his stomach and the whole of his left leg was shattered, [leaving] his whole body severely injured [by the shrapnel]. While U H--- was injured, nearby villagers carried him to a nearby clinic. But while carrying him to the clinic, mortar shells [were fired and] landed continually. So, villagers who carried the victim left the victim in front of a monastery located at the centre of the village, and they ran to hide. A few moments later, the victim was taken to a clinic by car [by other villagers]. However, there was too much bleeding, so he passed away [after arriving at the clinic].

Another injured villager was 58-year-old U K---. He was hit by mortar shrapnel on his right thigh. He was not severely injured, so he was taken to Bilin Hospital [located in Bilin Town, administrated by the SAC] and was receiving treatment currently [as of December 2025].

Burma Army air strikes caused injuries and displacement to local villagers and destruction to villagers’ properties

The SAC army from Bago Region launched drones to Mon State [Kyeh Htoh Township] and conducted drone strikes. The local villagers needed to be afraid, and they could not work to secure their livelihood; they lived their lives full of anxiety. Therefore, they had to face a lot of difficulties for their livelihood. The villages located in Kha Ywel village tract are villages near the Sittang River, so most of the villagers worked as fishermen to secure their livelihood. The main time [the best period] for catching fish and frogs is at night. The SAC arrested and hit the villagers who caught fish and frogs at night, and if they saw light, they threatened [the villagers] by conducting indiscriminate firing [of guns], so the fishermen had to face difficulties.

The civilians in those villages had to face not only the scarcity of job opportunities but also an extreme increase in commodity prices. Most of the villagers were daily wage workers, and they did not have extra foods to store for an emergency. Currently [as of December 2025], there were over 5,000 villagers in Kha Ywel village tract. They had to survive difficultly under the danger of shelling and drones strikes. Currently [as of December 2025], the situation of healthcare was that there were no health workers in SAC clinics, so it was the same as having no healthcare. Even though it is a [partially] KNU-controlled area, KDHW [Karen Department of Health and Welfare][15] health workers could not enter [to provide healthcare, as it is a mixed-control area], so the villagers had to go to Theinzayet Town, which is the nearest place to receive healthcare.

On 20 March 2025, at 4:55 pm, [the SAC] launched two drones from Rk--- monastery located in Rk--- village, Waw Township, and the drones flew to Ng--- village, Kha Ywel village tract, Kyeh Htoh Township (Kyaikto Township, Mon State). The drones dropped one bomb near the Ng--- graveyard and one bomb near Zn--- place; in total two bombs were dropped. Therefore, the villagers from Ng--- village were afraid and fled to safe places.

On 10 May 2025, at 4 pm, a Burma military regime Y-12, which is a small reconnaissance aircraft, dropped five bombs onto Jz--- village, Win Kan village tract, Kyeh Htoh Township. The bombs landed and exploded on Jz--- village. Four houses were burnt down, and two houses of villagers were destroyed by the explosion. More than 80 villagers from Jz--- village and the People’s Defence Force (PDF)[16] from Win Kan village tract participated together to extinguish the fire. So, the fire was extinguished in time, and the other houses were saved from the danger of fire. There were approximately 300 houses and around 350 households in Jz--- village.

In addition, because the SAC conducted an air strike against civilians, houses were destroyed. Moreover, two villagers were hit by the shrapnel: 31-year-old Saw[17] M---, the son of Saw T---, was hit on his thighs, arms, and forehead, and 18-year-old Saw Z---, the son of Saw Y---, was hit on his temple. After, they were transported to Za--- clinic, located in Za--- village, Baw Ka Hta village tract, Ler Doh (Kyaukkyi) Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District, administered by the KDHW. Then they received treatment in the emergency room at the hospital. There was no fighting occurring between the Burma Army and an armed resistance force when the air strike was conducted. So, from the villagers’ perspective, the Burma Army deliberately conducted an air strike to attack the village.

However, at that time, the PDF was conducting an operation to capture the base of LIB #598, located in Shwegyin Township in an area bordering Kyeh Htoh Township. When the PDF conducted an operation to capture [LIB] #598 army camp, they [the PDF] were not led by a local KNLA [Karen National Liberation Army][18] battalion; several battalions of PDF combined together to capture SAC LIB #598 army camp. Because the SAC dropped bombs onto Jz--- village by Y-12 reconnaissance aircraft, four houses in Jz--- village, Win Kan village tract, owned by Saw D---, Saw A---, Saw I---, and Naw[19] J--- were burnt down. Also, two houses owned by Saw B--- and Saw X--- were hit and destroyed by the shrapnel from the bomb explosion. Before the SSPC conducted an air strike in Jz--- village, [the Burma Army] had conducted four rounds [of air strikes] in Pyin Ka To Kon village tract and one round in Kyauk Pya village tract: five rounds in total. As a result, a monastery and a school in Wk--- village, Kyauk Pya village tract, were destroyed. The air strike that was conducted in Jz--- village was the fourth round of the air strikes, and it was the first air strike [of the five] which caused injuries to civilians.

The PDF had to advance through Jz--- village to conduct an inspection operation while they were conducting an operation to capture [LIB] #598 army camp, so some of the PDF set up a temporary army camp. So, villagers from the village suspected that the air strike happened because PDF had conducted activities [in the area]. Due to the SAC air strike, [the civilians in] Win Kan village tract, Zi Pyaung village tract, and Kha Yweh village tract mainly had to flee. Even though they fled, only a few of [the civilians] fled to Theinzayet Town, because the SAC have conducted arrests [there]. There were over 3,000 IDPs [internally displaced persons] in Win Kan village tract, and most of them were hillside farmers and daily wages workers. The school in Jz--- village had to close temporarily because of the air strike. In previous years, they [teachers and students from the village] studied in the school. Since a mortar shell landed near the school [on 23 March 2025], the village’s elders participated and built a temporary school to prevent the danger of mortar shells and so the students would be able to study during emergency situations [the ongoing conflict]. The school is not too far and not too close to the village. They [the village’s elders] had to try so that the children would be educated [would be able to access education]. There was no SAC teacher in Jz--- school, so the volunteer teachers in the village had to teach the children. The KECD [Karen Education and Culture Department][20] also could not provide sufficient support [to the school], so the school was run by the villagers independently [as a self-funded school].  

On 17 October 2025, at 10:40 am, a [Burma Army] fighter jet conducted air strikes onto a KNU-controlled area in Kyauk Pya village tract, Kyeh Htoh Township. The fighter jet first dropped cluster bombs onto Wk--- village, Kyauk Pya village tract, where the bombs landed and exploded in the village.

The fighter jet then continued its attack by dropping rockets onto Pj--- village, Kyauk Pya village tract; the bombs landed and exploded in [Pj---] village. One of the bombs landed and exploded on the house of a villager [originally] from Wk--- village, named Saw C--- [living in Pj--- village]. The house was completely destroyed. However, the house owners were able to enter their makeshift bunker in time, so none of them were injured. Another bomb landed and exploded in a garden of Saw E---, located behind Saw C---’s house [garden], causing shrapnel damage to the houses of Saw E--- and Saw N---.

Right at the time when [two other villagers from Pj--- village named] Saw E--- and Saw N--- heard the sound of approaching aircraft, they ran as quickly as possible toward their makeshift bunker, but the bomb was dropped nearby them while they were running. As a result, 31-year-old Saw E--- was mildly injured on his right shoulder and his shoulder was minorly burnt; [the injury] was not life-threatening.

The fighter jet continued bombing Pj--- village. One of the bombs landed in the vicinity of the village on a turmeric farm. The bomb did not cause any casualties or destruction. Then another bomb landed on the peanut farm of Saw S--- and caused mild damages to nearby houses owned by Daw[21] V---, Daw Aa---, and U Ab---. Another bomb landed in the backyard of U Ac--- and caused no casualties or damages. In total, the Burma military regime conducted three [rounds of] air strikes on Pj--- village.

Afterward, the fighter jet flew back over Wk--- village and continued dropping bombs onto the [Wk---] village. One of the bombs landed on the football pitch of the village, another bomb landed at the monastery of the village, another two bombs landed in front of the clinic of the village, and another bomb landed in a house garden [of a villager]. In total, five bombs landed and exploded in Wk--- village during this phase of the attack. There were no casualties or [major] damages from these explosions. Overall, the Burma military regime conducted six [rounds of] air strikes on Wk--- village. None of villagers were severely injured during the attacks.

Burma Army arbitrarily arrested villagers and used the villagers as human shields and navigators

On 12 December 2025, at around 3 pm, after the SSPC fired mortar shells [see incident above], they entered [Jt---] village, A Lu village tract, and when it was turning dark [after sunset], they stationed in the monastery located in the centre of the village. When the SSPC entered the village, they arrested travellers and villagers, then used them as human shield and navigators. There were 13 known villagers in total who were arrested and used as human shields and navigators, and the remaining people [arrested by the Burma Army] were unknown since they were travellers.

Five out of 13 arrested villagers were still detained [as of December 2025], and all the remaining villagers were released. Those five villagers who remained detained are 1) Saw Ad---, 2) Saw Ae---, 3) Saw Ag---, 4) Saw Ah---, and 5) Saw Ai---. The SSPC soldiers who conducted the military offensive operations were under the control of LID #44.

Because the SSPC conducted military offensive operations and fired mortar shells, almost all villagers from A Lu village tract fled to places where it would be safer for them. Some villagers fled to nearby villages, some fled to monasteries, and some fled to rubber fields. They faced difficulties because there was not enough food and medicine.

Registration of villagers who were arrested by the SSPC

There were approximately 9,000 IDPs [as a result of Burma Army military operations in A Lu village tract, Kyeh Htoh Township]. Villagers from Jt--- village, Zc--- village, Zd--- village, Ze--- village, Zg--- village, Zh--- village, Zi--- village, Zj--- village, Zk--- village, and Zl--- village in A Lu village tract displaced. The total number of displaced people included 2851 men, 4633 women, 761 boys (under 15 years old), and 896 girls (under 15 years old.)

Further background reading on the situation of air strikes in Doo Tha Htoo (Thaton) District in Southeast Burma/Myanmar can be found in the following KHRG reports:

• ကဘီယူၤဟဲလံ Aircraft coming! : Impacts of air strikes on local communities and villagers’ protection strategies in Southeast Burma since the 2021 coup, November 2024.
• “Doo Tha Htoo District Short Update: Burma Army shelling and air strikes caused injuries, destruction, and displacement in Hpa-an Township (January to April 2026)”, August 2026.
• “Doo Tha Htoo District Incident Report: The Burma Army air strikes killed five children and injured nine villagers in Bilin Township (October 2025)”, December 2025.