Myanmar junta’s airstrike kills 3 students, 1 teacher in Karen State

At least three students and one teacher were killed and seven other students were injured when the junta forces conducted an air attack over a villages in Phapon (Mutaw) district of  Karen State on
Thursday.

The victims have been identified as  Saw Aye Mula (14 years old),  Saw Bogyi (13) and  Naw Thi Khu Phao (16) along with teacher Saw Pha Da (56), who hailed from Hti Gota village  under Dolo township.

The incident took place at around 6:30 am on 7 September, when  the military  jet fighter bombarded the village.

Karen National Union (KNU) confirmed that those students and teacher were killed in the air strike. Seven students also sustained injuries.

The military jet fighters attacked two more villages namely Kha Layda and Thar Kae Kae on 8 September. Attacks were also reported in Kae Yuday and Thay Thukee areas of Karen State.

The air attack was conducted as a retaliatory action against  Karen National Liberation Army’s brigade number 5, which captured the Kheypu-based junta camp at 5:30 am on 6 September.

KNU spokesperson Pado Saw Ka Klesay said that as the number of casualties on the junta side increases, they made targeted attacks on the public.

“If we consider it, more and more acts of war crimes have been committed by the junta forces,” he added.

Due to the air attack, residents of several villages namely Le Hao, Naw Ro Htha, Thay Thu Kee, Cay Yu Daw and Kheypu fled to different places. Meanwhile, 11 basic schools were declared closed.

The exact number of fleeing villagers into the jungles is not yet known. But it’s understood that they have been  facing various difficulties to survive and those displaced people are in need of urgent assistance, stated the KNU  spokesperson.