Three more men were killed this week in Ywangan Township, southern Shan State, bringing the total number of killings reported in the area this month to nine, according to local residents.

The latest incidents occurred in Kyauk-Nget and Myaing villages, where unidentified armed groups reportedly targeted men accused of serving as military informants.

On the night of May 20, armed men entered Kyauk-Nget village and killed two men in their 30s, including a member of the pro-military Pyu Saw Htee militia, locals told SHAN. Residents said the victims had been accused of collaborating with the military.

Two days earlier, on May 18, another man was shot dead in nearby Myaing village after being similarly accused of acting as a military informant.

“People are being killed almost every week in Ywangan now,” a local man in his 30s told SHAN. “Incidents like this happen in nearly every village where troops are stationed. In Kyauk-Nget, they took away a Pyu Saw Htee member and another man accused of being an informant and killed them. Another person was also killed in Myaing.”

The killings have heightened fear across the township, where residents say they are caught between armed groups, military operations, and growing suspicion within their own communities.

Following the recent attacks, the military has reportedly reinforced its presence in several villages, increased inspections, and imposed stricter nighttime restrictions. Residents said authorities warned villagers not to leave their homes after 8 p.m.

According to local sources, nine people, including one woman, have been killed in Ywangan Township during May alone by unidentified armed groups accused of targeting military informants.

Residents say daily life has become increasingly tense, with many fearing they could be falsely accused or targeted.

“The killings have left everyone terrified,” a local man in his 20s told SHAN. “We are afraid of being mistaken for informants, afraid of being forced to porter for the military, and afraid that neighbors might wrongly accuse us. When soldiers enter the village, we do not dare speak to them or even go outside because people may misunderstand.”

Locals also reported that military troops stationed in villages north of Ywangan have been commandeering civilian vehicles for transport. Residents said vehicle owners are required to provide fuel, and when the vehicles break down, they are abandoned and left for their owners to retrieve.

The violence follows another fatal incident on May 13, when a married couple in their 40s was shot dead in Zay Tan Ward of Ywangan town by unidentified gunmen despite the presence of nearby military checkpoints.

According to data compiled by SHAN, at least 20 people, including members of the Pyu Saw Htee militia, were killed in Ywangan Township between January and May 2026.