The residents of Thanpuyar village, located along the Mudon–Kyainseikgyi–Payathonzu road in Kyainseikgyi Township, Karen State, are fleeing their homes due to mortar shelling by military junta troops.
Since early September, junta forces based in Chaungnakwa village, Kyaikmaraw Township, have reinforced their positions and continuously shelled Thanpuyar, which lies on the banks of the Zami River.
On the evening of September 13, around 7 p.m., indiscriminate mortar fire struck the village, killing a 50-year-old fisherman, Nai Win Aung, who was hit by shrapnel while fishing in a boat, according to local residents.
“On the evening of the 13th, a mortar was fired from Chaungnakwa toward Thanpuyar. It landed in the village and hit a man in his boat, killing him. They are still shelling. Just now, two more shells landed, one on each side of Thanpuyar village. People are fleeing in fear,” said a local witness.
The incident has forced hundreds of people from Thanpuyar and nearby villages to cross the Zami River in search of safety.
“People from both sides of the Zami River in Thanpuyar are fleeing. Two nearby Karen villages are also on the run. In total, about three villages have been displaced, with more than 100 people now seeking refuge,” said another villager.
Most displaced residents have reached safer areas but are in urgent need of food, water, and shelter.
The junta is reportedly attempting to regain control of the Mudon–Kyainseikgyi–Payathonzu road, including reconstruction of the Dali bridge between Thanpuyar and Shwelin villages, and the Chaungnakwa bridge over the Ataran River, both destroyed by mines in 2023.
