Myanmar Junta Airstrikes Kill 16, Including Child, in Attack on Opponents
Airstrikes carried out by Myanmar’s military junta have killed at least 16 people, including a child, and injured 25 others in an attack targeting opponents of military rule, RFA reported on Friday.
The deadly incident occurred on Thursday morning when the military aircraft bombed a gathering of anti-junta activists meeting at a Buddhist monastery in Magway region. A resident who identified himself as Ko Lin said, “The monastery was hit with firebombs. Eleven or 12 people were caught in the fire.”
In addition to the 16 fatalities, several people remain missing, and the death toll is expected to rise further. “As far as I know, the number of deaths are increasing,” said an unnamed rescue worker. “There are still people who are missing, as we can’t locate their bodies.”
The central regions of Myanmar have become a hotbed of opposition to the military regime, which took power in a 2021 coup. Pro-democracy activists have formed militias known as People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) that have engaged in clashes with the junta’s forces.
A PDF member from Saw township said the jets attacked from an air base in Mandalay Division, making three bombing runs and dropping a total of six bombs on the village.
Thursday’s strike was described as the most deadly in the district since the conflict began.
According to data compiled by RFA, from the coup until the end of March 2024, military airstrikes and artillery fire have killed at least 1,677 civilians and injured 3,263 others.
