A People’s Defence Force (PDF) unit and the junta’s armed forces engaged in a clash in Sagaing Region’s Myaung Township at 10am on Wednesday morning in which the military reportedly fired heavy artillery near a village, forcing local fighters to withdraw and residents to flee.
The gunfire stopped by noon, and the Myanmar army troops then occupied the village of Myit Son, according to a member of the Myaung PDF who took part in the clash.
Myanmar Now was unable to confirm how many villagers had fled.
“We’ve had to retreat for now as they started firing almost 40 shells. They didn’t have much manpower but they had two heavy weapons. They started firing shells at everything they saw,” the PDF fighter told Myanmar Now, adding that at least two junta troops had been injured in the clash.
Citing eyewitnesses, the PDF member said that while none of his fellow resistance fighters were hurt, a local boy herding cows was wounded when one of the military’s shells exploded near him.
Myanmar Now was unable to independently verify reports of any injuries.
Battles only recently resumed in Myaung Township after an incident on August 21 when hundreds of junta troops surrounded local PDF units on all sides, forcing them to retreat.
A spokesperson for the Myaung PDF confirmed on Wednesday that their base in the village of Pauk Chaung had been raided and burnt down by the military, who also arrested six of their members on Tuesday.
