Junta Burns 4 Houses, Abducts 10 Residents in Kani Township (Sagaing); Strikes Chaung Ma School Injuring 4 Civilians — Part of 6+ School Strikes in 5 Weeks

Myanmar military junta forces burned four houses and abducted ten local residents in Thamin village, southern Kani Township, Sagaing Region on May 17, 2026, as a column of approximately 350 troops simultaneously occupied strategic positions in the Saw town area of the same district, according to Mizzima. The raids in Kani Township form part of an ongoing junta ground offensive that has displaced more than 30,900 civilians from 44 villages over the past two weeks, with at least 16 civilians killed in Kani since early April 2026. Separately, The Irrawaddy documented on May 17 that Myanmar's junta has escalated a systematic campaign of airstrikes against schools — with at least six attacks on educational facilities in five weeks across Sagaing, Northern Shan State, and Karen State. Among the documented strikes is an attack on Chaung Ma school in Kani Township, which injured four civilians, and a strike on Htan Taw Basic Education High School in Ye-U Township, Sagaing. A further airstrike hit Pauk Inn Myaing school in Sagaing Region on May 17 — the school was fortunately closed at the time, and no casualties were reported from that specific incident. The broader pattern documented by the Irrawaddy is consistent with the IIMM's May 16 statement that 640+ airstrikes have killed or injured children since the 2021 coup, and with ACLED's data showing 2,602 air attacks in 2025 — the highest annual count. The UN Special Rapporteur has called the deliberate targeting of schools an ongoing war crime; the May 12, 2025 Oe Htein Kwin school massacre (20+ students killed) marked just one year ago on May 16. Kani Township, a rural area in central Sagaing Region north of Monywa, has become a persistent combat zone: junta columns have conducted repeated ground sweeps and drone/paramotor attacks through the area since January 2026. The abduction of ten residents and burning of four houses on May 17 continues the junta's documented strategy of depopulating resistance-aligned villages through combined aerial bombardment and ground terror operations.