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

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

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

Karen National Union (KNU) confirmed that those students and teacher were killed in the air strike. Sevenstudents 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 Yudayand Thay Thukee areas of Karen State.

The air attack was conducted as a retaliatory action against  Karen National Liberation Army’s brigadenumber 5, which captured the Kheypu-basedjunta 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 thepublic.

“If we consider it, more and more acts of war crimes havebeen committed by the juntaforces,” he added.

Due to the air attack, residents of several villages namely Le Hao, Naw Ro Htha, Thay ThuKee, 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 theyhave been  facing various difficultiesto survive and those displaced people are in need of urgent assistance, stated the KNU  spokesperson.