12 May 2026 By Hlaing
PAUK, Myanmar — More than 5,000 civilians from 11 villages have been forced to flee their homes in western Pauk Township, Magway Region, as a large military column advances through the area, local humanitarian groups reported on Monday.
The offensive, which began on 9 May, involves approximately 200 ground troops supported by logistics vehicles from the nearby No. 24 Defense Equipment Factory (locally known as Ka-Pa-Sa 24). The column has been moving slowly through the rural heartlands, occupying villages along the strategic Pakokku-Mindat highway.
“The column is moving on foot, pushing forward village by village,” a local witness told MPA. “They reached Palaung village yesterday morning and moved into Kyauk Mae Taung by evening. There are reports that reinforcements are arriving, and the presence of these troops has left the entire western sector in a state of panic.”
The recent surge in military activity follows the arrival of an estimated 1,200 fresh troops from central Myanmar, split between the Ka-Pa-Sa 24 factory in Pauk and Ka-Pa-Sa 22 in Seikphyu. Despite facing an ambush by local resistance forces last week that reportedly left nine soldiers dead, the military has continued its push into the western townships.
The displacement comes at a particularly difficult time for the local population. As the military moves through the villages, a regional storm system has brought heavy rains to the dry zone.
“We have been on the run for five days now,” one displaced resident said. “Between the rain and the fear of the soldiers, it’s a living nightmare. With the storm moving in, finding shelter in the woods is becoming impossible, especially for children and the elderly.”
While ground troops move through Pauk, military aircraft from the Tada-U airbase have reportedly been conducting strikes in the neighboring Mindat Township in Chin State, despite a lack of active fighting in those specific target areas. Resistance groups in the Yaw region and southern Chin State have issued urgent warnings for civilians to remain alert for aerial bombardments.
According to the Pauk Township Humanitarian Department, approximately 1,100 households are currently in urgent need of food, medicine, and waterproof shelters. As the military tightens its grip on the routes leading toward the Chin Hills, there are growing fears that the humanitarian crisis in the region is set to deepen significantly.
