Nearly 7,000 civilians from at least 15 villages in Bago Region’s Nattalin Township have been forced to flee their homes as junta troops intensify a multi-column offensive characterized by heavy shelling and drone attacks.

The villages including Kantharyar, Pemakhan, Chaungkangyi, Kyunlaypin, Sangyidaung, Thayetpinkanyoe, Phalanpin, Sharsaybo, Kyaukswe, Kyaukkhwet, Magyipin, Ohphokon, and Bangbwaykon, have been forced to flee due to the ongoing military operations.

Since 5 April 2026, an estimated 200 soldiers have advanced from three separate directions – from Sangyilaung, Ngoketo, and Thayar Kone – pushing toward the Bago Yoma Mountain range and clashing with local resistance forces along the way.

The offensive has been marked by the deliberate targeting of residential areas. On 6 April, two civilians were killed and two others injured in Pemakhan village during a combined drone and artillery strike.

The violence escalated on 8 April when heavy shelling caused a major fire in Kyunlaypin village, though the full extent of the property damage remains unverified due to ongoing hostilities.

“The villages are in ruins, and many displaced people are struggling without water, food, or shelter,” a local said. “Kyunlaypin village caught fire on the evening of 8 April due to heavy artillery shelling, but the full extent of the damage is still unknown.”

In a recent development on 9 April, junta forces reportedly utilized three paramotors to drop explosives on Kyunlaypin and Chaungkangyi villages. While no injuries were reported in this specific strike as residents had already fled, the use of motorized paragliders underscores the military’s increasing reliance on unconventional aerial tactics in the region.

Reports from the ground indicate a growing humanitarian crisis among the displaced. Thousands of people from villages such as Kantharyar, Pemakhan, and Kyaukswe are currently hiding in makeshift forest camps with no access to clean drinking water, food, or medical supplies.

There are also reports of mass detentions, with nearly 100 residents of Kantharyar village allegedly arrested when troops first entered the area, though some may have since been released.

Local aid workers are urgently calling for international assistance, specifically requesting saline solutions, basic medicines, and temporary shelter materials to support the fleeing population as military units continue to advance toward the eastern Bago Yoma region.