In a surge of aerial assaults over the past six days, Myanmar's military junta has escalated attacks on civilian areas across the country, resulting in the deaths of at least 40 people, many of whom are children, according to reports from The Irrawaddy.
The intensified airstrikes have targeted regions spanning Chin, Shan, and Karenni (Kayah) States, as well as Magwe, Sagaing, and Mandalay Regions. Among the locations hit are a school, a marketplace, several towns, and camps housing internally displaced persons (IDPs). This uptick in military action follows a recent declaration by junta leader Min Aung Hlaing to reclaim territories held by resistance forces.
In response to the mounting civilian casualties, resistance groups and human rights organizations are calling on the United Nations, the European Union, and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to take immediate measures. Their appeals include implementing bans on the export of aviation fuel and ammunition to Myanmar's military.
On Friday, military aircraft bombed a school in Lat Yat Ma Village in the Magwe Region, killing six individuals, including a child, and injuring over ten others. The attack also led to the destruction of school facilities, homes, and livestock. That same day, airstrikes were reported in Natogyi Township in Mandalay Region and Mindat Township in Chin State.
A particularly devastating strike occurred early Friday morning in northern Shan State, where military jets dropped bombs on the town of Namkham. Thirteen civilians lost their lives, including a pregnant woman and a child. Just hours prior, an IDP camp in Pekon Township, southern Shan State, was bombarded, resulting in ten deaths, eight of whom were children, and injuring fourteen others.
Additional attacks on Wednesday and Thursday targeted Nanmekon town and nearby villages in Loikaw Township, Karenni State. These assaults killed at least one resident and caused significant damage to civilian infrastructure.
The military also conducted airstrikes on Mantong town and a village in Nawnghkio Township, northern Shan State, areas under the control of the ethnic Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA). At least one civilian was killed, and multiple homes were damaged.
On Sunday, a market in Maung Kone Village, located in Tigyaing Township of Sagaing Region and controlled by People's Defense Forces (PDFs), was attacked by military aircraft. The airstrike claimed the lives of nine civilians, including a child, as reported by the Tigyaing Township People Administration Group.
Amid the relentless aerial bombardments and increasing civilian death toll, revolutionary groups are urging for the junta to be prosecuted for war crimes at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
BOB Post
