On Tuesday, an air strike was conducted by Myanmar’s ruling junta on a village resulting in the deaths of at least 100 individuals, including children and reporters. The incident occurred during the opening of a local office for the country’s opposition movement outside Pazigyi village in Kanbalu township of Sagaing region. According to a witness who spoke with The Associated Press, a fighter jet dropped bombs directly onto a crowd of approximately 150 people at 8 am. Among the deceased were women, children (20 to 30), leaders of locally formed anti-government armed groups, and other opposition organizations.
After the initial attack, a helicopter arrived at the site and opened fire about half an hour later, according to his statement. As the military government imposes restrictions on reporting, the exact number of casualties is uncertain.
On Tuesday evening, the Myanmar junta confirmed carrying out the attack and stated, “We attacked that place.” The military government’s spokesperson said that a People’s Defense Force office opening ceremony was held at Pazi Gyi village around 8 am on Tuesday. The People’s Defense Force is the armed wing of the National Unity Government, which identifies itself as the country’s legitimate government and opposes the military’s rule.
According to an AFP report, the military government spokesperson stated that among those killed were anti-coup fighters in uniform, although some individuals might have been wearing civilian clothing. The spokesperson also attributed some of the deaths to mines that were allegedly planted by the People’s Defense Force.
The attack was strongly condemned by the United Nations, with Secretary-General Antonio Gutters reiterating his call for the military to cease their violent campaign against the Myanmar population. Vedant Patel, the spokesperson for the US State Department, stated that such “violent attacks” highlight the military’s lack of concern for human life and their responsibility for the political and humanitarian crisis in the country.
The National Unity Government, the opposition party, referred to the attack as a “heinous act by the terrorist military.” The group claims that the attack is yet another example of the military’s use of extreme force against innocent civilians, which constitutes a war crime. The office that was inaugurated on Tuesday was part of the National Unity Government’s administrative network.
