Mizzima
During the span of the Hsi Hseng Battle, lasting from 21 January to 10 February, the Myanmar junta conducted a total of 263 air attacks and 311 incidents of shelling. Consequently, 65 houses and 12 religious structures were demolished, leading to the loss of nine civilian lives.
Hsi Hseng lies in Taunggyi District in the Shan State.
Among the nine fatalities were children and women. Additionally, 12 civilians sustained injuries, and seven were detained by the junta, as reported by the Pa-O Youth Organization (PYO).
An official from PYO said, “Currently, statistics typically comprise verifiable data. When discussing the frequency of air strikes, we don’t tally each instance of a plane taking off. Instead, the focus is primarily on calculating the number of aerial bombardments.”
In Hsi Hseng Township, clashes between the Military Council forces and the joint forces of the Pa-O National Liberation Army (PNLA) have been ongoing since the third week of January.
As a consequence of the conflict, over 70,000 residents from six wards and 65 villages in Hsi Hseng Township have been displaced, according to PYO.
An official from PYO said, “Currently, we require everything necessary for the displaced individuals. Also, it’s winter in Shan State, so it’s very cold. We lack warm clothes, and in some places where IDPs are staying, there is a shortage of food and water. So, we need everything to support the displaced people.”
The PNLA declared on 13 February that it is persisting with security operations to maintain stability in the Pa-O region.
As per a statement dated 9 February by Nyan Lynn Thit Analytica, an independent, non-partisan, and non-governmental research organization, the Military Council conducted over 1,650 airstrikes nationwide between February 2021 and December 2023, spanning the period of the coup.
