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TANINTHARYI DIVISION-According to residents and local revolutionary forces, the Junta council has increased its strength in Pala Town and has started using surveillance drones to monitor the area.
“There used to be a drone or two scouting the area but now (at least) four drones came in at night. This is as far as I know. There would be more (drones) in other places,” said a local activist.
Since the second week of May, the Junta soldiers at Pala police station no longer patrol outside and away from the camp, but started surveilling the area using drones.
The surveillance drones started flying from Pala police station at around 7 p.m. and are usually withdrawn at 10:00 p.m., stated the local activist.
The drones are reportedly flying low and monitoring the Toe, Pitap, and Kyaungnaint villages where they suppose People’s Defense Forces might be stationing.
As the use of drones has increased, the junta soldiers from Pala Police Station only patrol the vicinity of their camp and no longer patrol the nearby villages, as reported by local revolutionary forces.
“Except for the early morning, no junta troops could be seen anywhere. It has become more noticeable for three days now,” said a resident of Pala.
On May 16 morning, more than 50 military council soldiers arrived at the Pala police station and spread out as hidden sentries over Thingantaw and Tanshin villages.
These Junta soldiers reportedly came from Meelaungchaung village after hijacking a truck coming from the Myeik towards Dawei, currently staying at the Pala police station.
There is a junta checkpoint in the Meelaungchaung village, where junta soldiers and Pyu Saw Htee members are usually stationed.
Heavy weaponry is being fired from the Pala police station towards Gabyar Village, and the locals anticipated that the junta columns would advance to the Zayatseik Village Tract area.
In the first week of May, Pulaw PDF forces released a list of Junta informants and administrators in Zayatseik Village, Pala Township, to warn them.
Pala Town in Pulaw District is currently under martial law, has been cut off from electricity, and is only allowed to buy limited amounts of rice and fuel.