Villagers have fled a major battle between Myanmar junta forces and KIA-led PDF groups at the junction of the Banmauk and Indaw Townships in the conflict-plagued Sagaing Region.

The scorched-earth actions of the Myanmar military have seen village houses burnt down. 

A local resident told Mizzima on 8 October that the battle started on 4 October running until 7 October. 

“The locals were not harmed but some of the houses have been destroyed by the junta’s arson,” the resident said. 

Three fighter jets from the military council bombed nearby villages in Banmauk and Indaw Townships on 6 October.

“The Military Council troops entered and burned Seemaw village in Banmauk Township on 7 October. The junta army keeps deploying the military offensive in the Banmauk and Indaw area. That’s why the total damage and fatalities are not yet known,” said an official from Indaw Revolution (IR), a PDF group.

Locals from the villages of Paypin, Kyaukaing, Seemaw, and Taungyi in Banmauk and Indaw have fled their homes and are taking shelter in an area away from the fighting, according to the IR.