30 Innocent Civilians Killed by Military Council Shootings and Airstrikes in Ler Doh Township
March 9, 2026 | Burma Independent Voice
The KNU-Central announced today that 30 innocent civilians were killed due to intentional acts of violence by the coup military council troops who launched an offensive into Ler Doh Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District, an area under the control of the Karen National Union (KNU).
According to the statement, a combined force of the Military Council’s Light Infantry Battalion (LIB) 20, Infantry Battalion (IB) 264, and LIB 439, which moved into Ler Doh Township on March 5, arbitrarily detained approximately 160 innocent civilians from the Yay Twin Kone village tract.
On March 7, during clashes between the Military Council troops and the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), the Military Council used jet fighters and drones to carry out airstrikes on the Yay Twin Kone village tract. These strikes reportedly killed about 25 of the civilians who had been detained by the military troops.
In addition to those killed by the aerial bombings, five other civilians were reportedly shot and killed directly by the Military Council troops.
The KNU-Central stated that the Military Council is committing targeted attacks against civilians nationwide to maintain its hold on power. Since the period of the sham election, there has been an escalation in the severity of human rights violations being committed.
Currently, the KNU is still verifying the exact list of casualties and stated they will continue to release updates as soon as confirmed information becomes available.
