The residents who recently returned to Chaunghnitkhwa village in Kyaikmaraw Township have discovered remnants of military weapons around their homes, according to local sources.
After the military junta regained control of the Chaunghnitkhwa–Thanpuyar–Kyainseikgyi road in September, displaced villagers began returning to their homes. However, some have since found unexploded ordnance and leftover weapons in their compounds.
A local resident said that on October 14, a returning family found mortar shells in front of their house, tied with wires.
“When the family came back, they saw two mortar shells hanging by wires in front of their house. They were too afraid to go inside and informed the authorities to remove them. I’m not sure if they’ve been cleared yet, but people said those were leftover weapons from the past clashes. Soldiers in the village have removed some explosives, but there might still be others remaining,” the resident said.
Clashes first broke out in the area in mid-November 2023, when joint resistance forces attacked the nearby police outpost and Ataran Bridge security gate. During that period, airstrikes and mortar shelling by the military junta caused extensive damage to homes in Chaunghnitkhwa village.
“During the fighting, resistance groups fired from houses toward the police and soldiers, and the military responded by shelling homes. Some houses were destroyed or burned down. So it’s likely that unexploded shells and remnants are still lying around,” the resident added.
At least ten civilians were killed and more than twenty others injured during the clashes in Chaunghnitkhwa. Several bridges, including the Darli Bridge on the Mudon–Kyainseikgyi road and the Chaunghnitkhwa Bridge over the Ataran River, were also destroyed by landmines.
Currently, returning villagers are being registered and checked by military junta-affiliated groups before being ferried across the Ataran River.
“They’re now using ferries to transport small vehicles and people back to Chaunghnitkhwa. The Darli Bridge is still unusable,” said a local man.
Since regaining control of the Chaunghnitkhwa–Thanpuyar–Kyainseikgyi route, the military junta and the Border Guard Force (BGF) have set up joint security checkpoints along the road.
