More than 800 houses in 20 villages have been destroyed by junta troops and nine civilians killed over the past two weeks in junta raids on Taze township in Myanmar’s Sagaing region according to locals.
Six people were killed in Oke Hpo Aing village, two from Gway Kone, and one from Aung Chan Thar.
Two military columns of around 100 junta troops invaded villages around Taze township between Sept. 16 and Sept. 28.
"35 homes were torched in the east of the village when the military column left at four in the morning after they spent the night there," a resident of Kar Paung Kya village told RFA.
Homes were burned down in 20 villages, including Oke Hpo Aing, Aung Chan Thar, Yae U Kone, Inn Bat, Oe Thei Kone, Pay Kone, Gway Kone, Bay Yin Ywar Thit, Na Bet Gyi, Na Bet Nge, locals said.
There were 16 clashes between junta troops and People’s Defense Forces in Taze township. Fighting and mine explosions caused the deaths of five PDF members and roughly 50 junta soldiers, according to the local PDF.
The number of military deaths has not been independently verified.
RFA contacted Aye Hlaing, a spokesman for the military council in Sagaing region, but he did not respond.
Myanmar’s military killed nearly 643 civilians and burned down almost 20,524 houses in Sagaing region in the year since Sept. 15, 2021, when authorities cut off internet access to townships where anti-junta armed resistance is strongest, RFA reported on Wednesday. The figures were compiled by RFA’s Burmese service.