Kawkareik Artillery Battalion (312) attacked, killing warrant officer; heavy artillery shelling kills one local

Photo – It is reported that on September 27, the military junta fired heavy weapons toward villages, killing an elderly woman from Naung Ta La village and injuring a villager. (Local resident)

Mizzima

Artillery Battalion (312), under Military Operations Command No. 12 (MOC-12) based in Kawkareik, Karen State, was attacked with rockets and drones on 26 September by the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA) and the Karen National Defence Organisation (KNDO), both operating under the Karen National Union (KNU). A military warrant officer was killed in the attack, according to ground sources.

On 27 September, junta forces fired heavy artillery shells into nearby villages, killing an elderly woman in Naung Ta Lar village and injuring another resident.

“The artillery battalion has been shelling the villages for nearly a month. They fire indiscriminately every day toward the Brigade 6 and Brigade 7 areas. Just yesterday, they fired 28 heavy artillery shells toward Taung Kyar Inn and Myauk Kyar Inn villages,” a ground source told Mizzima.

The same source said Artillery Battalion (312) under MOC-12 has been firing heavy weapons daily for nearly a month toward Taung Kyar Inn, Myauk Kyar Inn, Wizzarkone, and Naung Ta Lar villages.

“The junta troops feel insecure. Fearing attacks, they shell the villages almost every day. In front of the military battalions in Kawkareik, they have installed CCTV cameras to monitor the surroundings,” a local resident of Kawkareik said.

The junta has also constructed bunkers along the Myawaddy-Asia Road and the Kawkareik-Kyondo Asia Highway to step up security measures, it is reported.

Local residents also said the junta is actively recruiting for military service in Myawaddy, Kawkareik, and Kyondo, and is forcibly conscripting travelers passing along the Asia Highway.