UPDATED AT 10:20 P.M. EDT ON 9-26-2022

A morning raid with heavy artillery shelling by the Myanmar junta military injured five people in a village in the war-torn central region of Sagaing, villagers said Monday.

Residents said two houses burned down after being struck by shells Sunday morning in Sagaing region's Wetlet township. A local resident, who did not want to be named for safety reasons, told RFA that about 40 fully armed junta soldiers arrived at the village early on Sunday morning and shelled Ywar Thar Gyi village.

“The village is next to the road, so there are no significant defense forces and only passers-by," the local said. "They came yesterday in two columns and opened fire. People got hit because [the shelling] erupted during market time. Everyone ran away to avoid the unexploded shells scattered along the way. The injured people are having medical treatment and there were no deaths,” the resident told RFA.

He added that more than 4,000 residents of Ywar Thar Gyi village, which has nearly 1,000 houses, fled to nearby villages.

RFA called a junta council spokesman for Sagaing region on Monday to ask about the attack but calls went unanswered on Monday.

Local residents also said that around 100 villagers who were unable to escape and remained in the village were being questioned by junta troops.

Wetlet township has strongly resisted the military council forces in the near 20 months since the military coup. The junta troops have raided Ywar Thar Gyi village four times including this attack, according to locals.

Data for Myanmar reported on August 27, that 20,153 houses in Sagaing were destroyed due to arson attacks junta troops and their affiliates from February 1, 2021 to Sunday.

UPDATED to add missing language in the beginning of the story.