Myanmar military kills dozens in heaviest run of airstrikes since coup

Myanmar's military last month launched some of its heaviest aerial campaigns since the 2021 coup, killing at least 26 people in seven airstrikes.

- Aung Naing Soe

The military, which has repeatedly been accused of indiscriminate aerial bombardments, launched at least seven strikes from 3-6 September. According to Unicef, 10 children were among those killed and a pregnant woman lost her unborn child.

A camp for internally displaced people in Pekhon, southern Shan state, was one area targeted. Daw Ohn Mar Khaing, a volunteer teacher at the camp, which is known as Bang-kok, said it was struck even though there was no fighting in the township and no opposition fighters nearby. "We only have helpless women and children, who were displaced from the war in their villages,” she said.

At about 9.45pm on 5 September, a fighter jet flew low over the camp, with teachers rushing to warn people to take cover. The jet returned and dropped two bombs, which landed 100 metres from Daw Ohn Mar Khaing's shelter.