About 5,000 evacuees flee to Mae Hong Son after airstrike
More than 5,000 displaced people fled across the border into Mae Hong Son on Wednesday after the Myanmar military launched an airstrike on the evacuation centre where they were living in Kayah State. They are now being housed in an evacuation centre in the province’s Mueang district.
Karenni National Progressive Party's Culture Minister, Tor Rae, said the airstrike on the evacuation centre occurred at 1.30am, killing one and injuring 10 others. The evacuation centre, which is located near the resistance group’s barracks, also comprises a school and health centre.
A source from the Karenni Army (KA) said later that the number of people killed in the airstrike on the evacuation centre had risen to four and that many more people were injured.
Myanmar’s military used a MIG-29 figher jet for four airstrikes between 0.57am and 1.32am.
The KA said it expected that the Myanmar military would attack its command base about 12 kilometres from Mae Hong Son, but it did not expect that it would attack the evacuation centre nearby.
Mae Hong Son officials have been deployed to take care of evacuees at Baan Nai Soi evacuation centre in Mueang district.
About 5,000 displaced civilians have been living in the Kayah State centre since the beginning of this year as Thai agencies would not allow them to stay in Thailand.
