September 5, 2023
In Karen State, Myawaddy Town was air blitzed and heavy weapons fired by the Military Council on Lat Khat Taung and then an official of the Black Panther Column said that many pagodas and religious buildings on Lat Khat Taung were massively damaged.
It has been more than 1 month since the joint KNLA columns attacked and occupied Lat Khat Taung camp near Myawaddy town, and the military council army has been on the offensive and trying to recapture the camp no less than 10 times.
At present, there has been no fighting in the vicinity of Lat Khat Taung for almost 20 days, and an official of the Black Panther Column said that the military council’s air bombardment and heavy weapons being fired almost every day being resulted in many pagodas and religious buildings on Lat Khat Taung were damaged.
“If I had to count the damage to the pagodas, I would not be able to count them exactly. There are also the Temple’s sacred lakes, a Buddhist ordination hall, and a lot of pagodas, of course. Now they are firing from the air at these pagodas with their beliefs that some are stationed there. On this side, they are still building things as their shields,” he said.
He added that the Military Council Army built pagodas in Lat Khat Taung, where the BGF under the Military Council Army was stationed, and now they are working to destroy the pagodas again themselves.
“Regarding Lat Khat Taung, there are aerial attacks, heavy weapons, and also Howitzer shockwave types are firing all the way through, of course. Some religious buildings and stupas have been built as the shields by the military council and destroyed by themselves,” he said.
Last September 4th, at around 2:00 p.m., the military council army carried out bombing attacks with two jet fighter planes, Myawaddy residents said.
“Attacked by aircraft, at the first time the house shook, and then it flew for a while. About 5 minutes later, another aircraft came and dropped 2 bombs,” said a resident of Myawaddy Town.
As a result of the military council’s aerial blitz, the religious buildings on Lat Khat Taung were damaged, but the People’s Defense Forces side was not injured, according to the Black Panther Column.
In Myawaddy, Kawkareik, Kyondoe, Hpapun, Than Daung Gyi, and Kyar Inn Seik Gyi from the Karen State, the battles between the military council army and the KNLA joint forces take place almost every day and due to this reason and air strikes and also firing with heavy weapons, according to local news sources, there is damage to religious buildings and local people’s homes.
News – Ko Phyo
Photo: Black Panther Column-P29905
Phar Si Than (People’s Radio Myanmar)
