NAYPYITAW, 9 September 2021, (TON): A People’s Defence Force (PDF) unit and the junta’s armed forces engaged in a clash in Sagaing Region’s Myaung Township in which the military reportedly fired heavy artillery near a village, forcing local fighters to withdraw and residents to flee.

The gunfire stopped by noon, and the Myanmar army troops then occupied the village of Myit Son, according to a member of the Myaung PDF who took part in the clash.

Media sources was unable to confirm how many villagers had fled.

The PDF fighter told media “we’ve had to retreat for now as they started firing almost 40 shells. They didn’t have much manpower but they had two heavy weapons. They started firing shells at everything they saw.”

He added that at least two junta troops had been injured in the clash.

Citing eyewitnesses, the PDF member said that while none of his fellow resistance fighters were hurt, a local boy herding cows was wounded when one of the military’s shells exploded near him.

Battles only recently resumed in Myaung Township after an incident on August 21 when hundreds of junta troops surrounded local PDF units on all sides, forcing them to retreat.