BANGKOK — A brutal airstrike carried out by Myanmar’s military in a village controlled by a pro-democracy resistance faction has resulted in the deaths of at least 27 civilians and left 30 others wounded. This tragic incident was reported by opposition groups and online media based in Myanmar on Saturday.
The deadly attack transpired on Friday at 3 p.m. in Let Pan Hla village, located in Singu township, roughly 65 kilometers (40 miles) north of Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city. This information was relayed by a spokesperson for the Mandalay People’s Defence Force.
The military has yet to comment on the incident as of Saturday. Since the army’s coup against the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, 2021, Myanmar has faced overwhelming chaos. Efforts to quash peaceful protests with brutal force spurred many anti-military activists to resort to armed resistance. As a result, extensive areas across the nation are now engulfed in conflict.
The military regime has significantly increased its airstrikes against both the armed pro-democracy People’s Defense Force and various ethnic minority guerrilla groups pursuing greater autonomy for many years. On occasions, these factions collaborate in their operations against the military. The resistance groups, however, appear utterly defenseless against aerial bombardments.
The town of Singu was overtaken by the Mandalay People’s Defence Force (MDY-PDF), which is aligned with Myanmar’s main opposition, in July of the previous year.
A statement by the group on its Telegram channel revealed that six children were among those killed in the airstrike that targeted bustling market areas in Let Pan Hla village. According to the group’s spokesperson, Osmond, bombs destroyed approximately ten homes near the market.
“This airstrike targeted the market area, frequented by civilians on a daily basis, rather than any military installations,” Osmond conveyed in a message.
Due to restricted internet and cellphone services in the region, independent verification of the village situation remains challenging.
The independent online media outlet, Myanmar Now, reported that the death toll from the attack continued to rise, reaching 30, with seven individuals in critical condition after a tea shop near the market was affected.
A report from last month by Nyan Lynn Thit Analytica, a Myanmar research and advocacy group, disclosed that ever since the military’s takeover in 2021, the tumult has resulted in 2,224 civilian fatalities and injuries to 3,466 others across 4,157 airstrike incidents.
