NATTALIN, Myanmar — Forces belonging to Myanmar’s sham government have shot dead three civilians, including two elderly residents, and abducted five others during a violent raid in eastern Nattalin Township, Bago Region.
The incident occurred on March 16, 2026, when a military column of approximately 100 soldiers, based in Dama Ngal village, advanced toward Phalan Pin village. The move triggered a brief but intense clash with local resistance forces (PDF) between Phalan Pin and Ngoke To villages.
Following the skirmish, witnesses say the military entered Phalan Pin village and began a systematic search of residential properties. During the raid, three villagers—identified as 48-year-old U Htay Aung, and two 65-year-old residents, U Chit Tun and Daw Khin Yi—were shot dead.
“They were gunned down as the soldiers swept through the village. It will be difficult to recover the bodies immediately given the current security situation,” a military source in Nattalin told MPA.
In addition to the killings, five other villagers were reportedly taken into custody. Among those abducted is Daw Kaythi, the 40-year-old wife of the deceased U Htay Aung. Four members of another family, headed by U Phoe Kone, were also reportedly seized. Their current whereabouts and status remain unknown.
Before withdrawing under the cover of darkness toward Pyay Township, the military column reportedly set fire to Phalan Pin village. Local reports indicate that at least 10 homes were reduced to ashes.
The offensive has sparked a wave of displacement in the region. Hundreds of civilians from Phalan Pin, Shwe Say Pho, Thayet Bagan Yoe, Ngoke To, Nyaung Wine, and Khway Thay villages have fled into nearby forests and safer areas to avoid the advancing troops.
Human rights monitors have repeatedly documented the use of lethal force against non-combatants and scorched-earth tactics by the sham government’s military as it struggles to maintain control over rural areas. The targeting of elderly civilians in Nattalin is the latest in a series of reported atrocities in the Bago Region, a key strategic corridor for the regime.
Revolutionary forces involved in the initial clash have yet to release an official statement regarding military casualties. Meanwhile, the displaced residents of Nattalin remain in urgent need of humanitarian assistance as they hide from the ongoing military operations.
