Two men were killed when they were hit by a junta artillery shell in Karawaleseik Village, in Mon State’s Bilin Township on 20 March at about 7:30 p.m.

"At around 7:30 pm, a shell landed on U Kalar's house in the upper part of Karawaleseik Village. U Kalar died on the spot. His son Ko Aung Lwin was injured and died on the road while being taken to the hospital because his condition was bad”, a local person said to Mizzima.

Junta troops stationed at the Than Thadar Military Gate started firing artillery into the village at 7:00 p.m. on 20 March.

When a shell hit 50-year-old U Kalar’s house he was instantly killed in the resulting explosion, whilst his son, 20-year-old Ko Aung Lwin suffered severe head, hand, and stomach injuries before dying on the way to the township hospital.

A woman from Karawaleseik Village said: "We have to hide because they [the Junta] are shooting at random. Two people died in the village as a result of artillery [fire], which makes me even more afraid.”

Twice earlier that day, at 10:00 a.m. and then at 6:00 p.m., the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), the Thaton People’s Defense Force (TPDF) and other local defence force groups dropped bombs from a drone and fired on the Than Thadar Military Gate. Casualty numbers from that attack are currently unknown.

According to junta propaganda social media pages “the local resistance forces dropped five bombs with a drone, two of which fell on the road and three of which fell into the Thalpyu creek.”

Mizzima has been unable to confirm the extent of the damage to the Than Tadar Military Gate.

Previously, also in Bilin Township, on 18 March 2023 at about 3:30 p.m., a junta artillery shell landed in Ahwungyi Village and killed six-year-old Saw Po Thingyan.