Since 3 September fighting in two areas of Sagaing Region’s Myaung Township has caused thousands of locals to flee, according to Myaung (CDSOM).

Currently, there are 65 junta soldiers from North Western military Command stationed in Myaung Township’s Kyaukyit Village. On the night of 3 September, they started launching offensives against local villages.

This caused worried residents from Twingyi, Tamasaykan, Magyipoke, Zayatkone, and Myasan villages in Myaung Township to immediately flee, according to Ko Nway Oo, a leader of  Myaung (CDSOM), a civilian defence and security organisation.

He said: “All of the locals fled because many regime forces entered the villages. Some [who fled] are afraid of regime forces and some are worried about clashes. So, they are leaving their homes for their own safety. The exact number of the people is unknown because it was night time but there may be over a thousand [who fled].”

Another column of 100 junta soldiers stationed in nearby Yesagyo Township in Magwe Region entered Pannyo Village in southern Myaung Township at around 11:00 a.m. on 4 September. They burned down people’s houses, according to Ko Nway Oo who said that he does not yet know casualty numbers in Panyo Village because the junta soldiers are still occupying the village.

According to locals the soldiers from Yesagyo Township have also been patrolling in the southern part of Myaung Township. This has caused over 3,000 locals from Pannyo, Nyaungkaryar, Ngayant-O, Minhla and Ywarpalae villages to flee.