Burma Army attacks villagers in their fields, displacing thousands of people and leading to food insecurity in Hsaw Htee Township, Kler Lwe Htoo District, northern Karen State. 

On Oct. 16, Rangers crossed the Sittang River to document Burma Army attacks and the needs of IDPs in Hsaw Htee Township. They learned that Burma Army and resistance forces are facing off at Nyaung Bin Gyi Village. Burma military jets and drones destroyed much of the village, including a Buddhist monastery. They continued to bomb the village for the next several days. Rangers also reported Burma Army attacks have displaced thousands in the vicinity of the Sittang River. IDPs have been unable to bring in their harvest safely and now suffer from food insecurity and are in need of food aid.  

Dooplaya and Thaton districts face continued Burma Army attacks this week, including airstrikes and drone assaults targeting both civilian and military areas. Despite the intensified fighting, Rangers continued to provide frontline medical relief and support to local villagers affected by conflict and displacement. 

From Oct. 16 to 20, Burma Army divisions 22 and 55 launched multiple coordinated offensives across Dooplaya District, focusing on the areas surrounding New Lay Kay Kaw, Min Lat Pan, Phalu, and Kyauk Gu. The attacks included six suicide drone strikes between 0600 and 1100 hours on Oct. 17. Cobra Column and allied joint forces repelled each advance. There were multiple casualties as a result of the clashes. Rangers and Team Ronin conducted emergency evacuations and transported the injured to more definitive care. 

Ranger medical teams in Dooplaya continued to serve civilians amid the fighting. On Oct. 16, Rangers provided treatment to a child and a man suffering from fever and pain. On Oct. 19 a resistance soldier, Bo Kyra, sustained shrapnel wounds during renewed clashes near New Lay Kay Kaw and received immediate field treatment before being safely evacuated. Two additional soldiers were later wounded by shrapnel during the Oct. 20 engagements at Min Lat Pan Village. All casualties received care and were transferred by Ranger and Team Ronin medics for further treatment. 

Meanwhile, in Thaton District, the Burma Army carried out an airstrike on Nat Sin Village, Kyaikto Township, on Oct. 17. The jet dropped four bombs on civilian areas, damaging two homes. No civilian deaths were reported. Rangers continue to monitor the situation and provide support to affected families as needed. 

Across both districts, conflict-related displacement remains high, with villagers continuing to flee active front lines. Rangers are maintaining field medical coverage and coordinating logistics to support internally displaced people (IDPs) in contested areas.

Rangers conducted training and distributed aid in Loikaw District, including 16 tarpaulins for IDPs and support for displaced Nan Huu Village residents after a Burma military and PNO advance.

In Loikaw District, in partnership with the Karenni National Defense Force (KNDF), Rangers conducted training in Loikaw Township from Sep. 29 to Oct. 7. The training covered first-aid, casualty evacuation, map reading, reconnaissance, tourniquet use, patient-carrying, and rope-handling techniques. On Oct. 7, Rangers provided four tarpaulins for 988 IDPs in La Leh IDP camp in Demosso Township, two tarps for 609 IDPs in Nae Ye Khu IDP camp and on Oct. 9, five tarps for 125 IDPs in Su Way camp and another five tarps to a college in Daw Law Khu Village. As Burma military and PNO forces advanced toward Lin Phone Lay Village on Oct. 9, residents of Nan Huu Village (Loikaw Township) fled and relocated to a safe location. Rangers donated 300,000 kyats to support the relocation and provided two tarpaulins to help rebuild the temporary school.