By Kantarawaddy Times
The military wounded an elderly man and a girl in a shell attack on a village in Pekon Township, where regime forces are targeting resistance groups and civilians as part of a major offensive in southern Shan State that began more than a week ago.
On Wednesday, the Burma Army (BA) Infantry Battalion 422 based in Mobye attacked Kahpu village at 8am, injuring 72-year-old Angelo and 14-year-old Ma Caromin, a local source told Kantarawaddy Times, preferring not to give his name. Several houses were also damaged by the six shells fired indiscriminately at the village.
A week ago in Mobye, one civilian was killed and others were injured by junta shelling.
”They’re attacking towns and villages with artillery every day in violation of the international laws (of war),” said an officer from the People’s Defence Forces in Pekon, who are fighting to overthrow the dictatorship along with a consortium of other armed resistance groups in Shan and Karenni states.
Many BA soldiers are stationed in Pekon town, where no fighting has been reported recently. Last Tuesday, the Pekon PDF and other groups attacked regime forces in the Loipa Tha and Kon Sone mountains.
Fighting between regime troops and Karenni resistance groups in southern Shan State along the border with Karenni State has increased after the dictatorship sent large numbers of troops, tanks and armoured vehicles and flew numerous airstrikes on fighters and civilians, forcing many to flee their homes. At least 15 BA soldiers were killed in Mobye last Saturday, while the same number of Karenni resistance fighters were killed in action, according to the Mobye PDF spokesperson.
