By Kantarawaddy Times
Due to artillery shelling by the military battalion (102) based in Nwetaw, Karenni State, locals who had returned to Daw Ngan Khar Ward in Dee Maw Hso Township were forced to flee again to IDP camps. Some of their homes were dismantled and taken to the camps, according to sources aiding the displaced.
At least 10 homes were dismantled and taken away on August 29, according to Pyay Sone, a member of the Pyi Kan Kaw IDP Aid Committee, who spoke to Kantarawaddy Times.
“There hasn’t been any direct fighting. It’s mainly due to artillery shelling. Over the past few days, many houses were dismantled and transported away. I would estimate at least 10 homes were taken. In some cases, the houses were dismantled piece by piece before being taken. From what I know, they’ve been transported back to the IDP camps they had fled from earlier,” Pyay Sone explained.
Locals are also worried that military troops will invade the villages, in addition to the ongoing artillery shelling by Battalion 102.
On August 25, an artillery shell fired from Battalion 102 landed in a village east of Dee Maw Hso, injuring a 12-year-old child.
Although the military had refrained from shelling villages in Dee Maw Hso for some time, the attacks resumed in August.
In August, military troops advanced from Loikaw along the Union Highway, targeting villages in Dee Maw Hso Township. As they advanced, they also set fire to homes, with more than 40 houses being burned down during August, according to a statement released by the KNDF on September 3.
