Some schools in western Demawso temporarily closed due to junta attacks

School officials say some schools in western Demawso Township, Karenni State, have been temporarily closed for safety reasons after junta airstrikes and heavy artillery shelling in the area. Around 6 p.m. yesterday, August 6, a middle school building in western Demawso was damaged during a junta airstrike on the area. Officials say artillery shells fired by junta forces have also been landing near villages and displacement camps, prompting the school closures over safety concerns. “Two planes came and dropped bombs yesterday, right after the kids got out of school. Then around 7 p.m. an artillery shell landed nearby too, in the surrounding area. That’s why we had to close the schools. There are a lot of displaced people’s homes around here, so we’re worried for the children. We can’t say exactly how many days [the schools] will stay closed. If things calm down a bit, we’ll reopen. Right now, we’ve closed based on the current situation,” said a school teacher. Five schools near the middle school hit by the airstrike have also been temporarily closed as a safety precaution. In the first week of August, junta airstrikes, drone strikes and bombings on civilian areas in Demawso and Hpruso townships in Karenni State have killed and injured civilians and destroyed homes and school buildings.