In Kalay Township, Sagaing Region, the military council has increased undercover surveillance using civilian vehicles after a public anti-junta protest under tight security, according to locals.

The Kalay Township People’s Strike Steering Committee organized a protest in the town on July 19 to mark the 77th anniversary of Martyrs’ Day.

“Previously, they would just sit at designated points, but after we resumed our protests, they increased surveillance with undercover officers scattered across the city. In addition to setting point ambushes, they have disguised themselves as civilians,” said Ko Bikepu, a leader of the Kalay Township People’s Strike Steering Committee.

The Protest, which marked the 77th anniversary of Martyrs’ Day, reportedly imposed a significant impact on the military council troops, disrupting their operations in the city, according to locals.

A male resident from the Aung Mingalar ward in Kalay said, “The junta troops are patrolling in civilian cars and plain clothes now. It had been quiet for some time in town, but recently there was the sound of shelling toward the Yazagyo area.”

On August 18, junta forces also arrested about 20 young and middle-aged men from the eastern part of Nyaung Pin Thar Ward, and none have been released yet, according to a local man from the ward.

“There were gunshots in the morning, and they took the men away in vehicles. We haven’t heard of any releases yet, and we heard that they are forced to join the military. Some people who can bribe are likely to be released,” he added.

Additionally, locals from the western part of Kalay who had fled due to intense fighting in February, have reportedly returned to Kalay due to the ongoing military activities around the town.

“Many of the displaced have returned. Some refugees who fled to India are coming back because of the difficulty of managing long-term expenses there. They’re finding it hard to make a living, so they’re returning,” said a man from Tat Oo Thida Ward.

The military council, concerning the town security, has set up checkpoints around the city and, they launched a raid in Shartaw and Thone Eain Su Villages from the southwestern areas of Kalay on August 20, burning down over 40 houses.

“They raided early in the morning. There was a skirmish during which a CNDF member was captured. They burned along with the houses; one from Shartaw and around 40 from Thone Eain Su. I believe they’re clearing the area to secure the town,” a defense force member from southern Kalay, told MPA.

Thone Eain Su is a small village of about 60 households, which had also been targeted and burned by the military council in 2022. The recent raid left the village with only a few houses standing.

Around 2 PM on August 20, the military council also dropped two 250-pound bombs from a jet fighter on LetpanChaung Village in northwestern Kalay. Although the bombs landed near a monastery, no damage or injuries were reported as most villagers had already fled.