Reports are increasing about Myanmar junta forces targeting and killing civilians without reason in remote areas of the conflict-ridden Sagaing Region.

Local residents recently reported that the junta army entered Kalonhtar village, Yay Phyu Township, Sagaing Region with 100 troops and arrested three local villagers without good reason.

One of the arrestees was killed and his body was abandoned on a rubber farm on 21 September.

The three victims were arrested while they are hiding in the village’s monastery, a local witness said.

Maung Maung, a local farmer who was about 50 years old, was killed by the junta soldiers, and the other two civilians are still in their custody, a Kalonhtar villager said.

“Currently, there are no clashes between local PDFs and junta army. We don’t know why they arrested our villagers and it is not yet known why the Junta army arrested U Maung Maung and killed him. The only thing we know is that they abandoned the body in the rubber farm,” another local resident said.

The junta army remain stationed in the village and the local people have fled to the nearby forest, mountains and are also taking shelter in other village monasteries, Kalonhtar villagers say.