Bangkok: Myanmar's military junta has confirmed a deadly air strike on a village in the country's centre in the Sagaing region, reported malaymail. "There was (a People's Defence Force) office opening ceremony ... (Tuesday) morning about 8 am at Pazi Gyi village," junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun confirmed late Tuesday night.
Airstrikes by Myanmar's military on Tuesday killed as many as 100 people, including many children, who were attending a ceremony held by opponents of army rule, said a witness, a member of a local pro-democracy group and independent media.
The military is increasingly using airstrikes to counter a widespread armed struggle against its rule, which began in February 2021 when it seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. More than 3,000 civilians are estimated to have been killed since then by security forces.
Fighter jet dropped bombs directly into a crowd
A witness told The Associated Press that a fighter jet dropped bombs directly into a crowd of people who were gathering at 8 a.m. for the opening of a local office of the country's opposition movement outside Pazigyi village in Sagaing region's Kanbalu township. The area is about 110 kilometers (70 miles) north of Mandalay, the country's second largest city.
About half an hour later, a helicopter appeared and fired at the site, said the witness, who asked not to be identified because he feared punishment by the authorities.
"I was standing a short distance from the crowd when a friend of mine contacted me on the phone about the approach of a fighter jet," the witness said. "The jet dropped bombs directly on the crowd, and I jumped into a nearby ditch and hid. A few moments later, when I stood up and looked around, I saw people cut to pieces and dead in the smoke. The office building was destroyed by fire. About 30 people were injured. While the wounded were being transported, a helicopter arrived and shot more people. We are now cremating the bodies quickly."
He said some of the dead were anti-coup fighters in uniform while acknowledging "there could be some people with civilian clothes." Sagaing region -- near the country's second-largest city, Mandalay -- has put up some of the fiercest resistance to the military's rule, with intense fighting raging there for months.
"According to the ground information we got, people were killed not because of our attack only. There were some mines planted by PDF around that area," he said, adding the airstrike had also hit a storage area for gunpowder and mines.
Pictures shared on social media
Photos from the village being shared on social media showed more than a dozen burned and mutilated bodies, while videos showed a destroyed building, burned motorcycles and debris scattered over a wide area. Rescuers at the scene confirmed the authenticity of the images with The New York Times.
The apparent target of the attack was a celebration to mark the local resistance movement's opening of an administration office. Only the charred frame of the building remained standing after the air raid, a video and photos showed.
Myanmar military has long history of violence
Myanmar's military, which has battled armed ethnic groups for territorial control since soon after independence in 1948, has a long history of brutal attacks on civilians.
Since the coup, pro-democracy forces have united with some armed ethnic groups in a national campaign to oust the military from power, creating the most unified resistance movement the military has faced.
As the rebel forces have become increasingly better armed, the military has doubled down on its strategy of carrying out deadly air raids and attacking civilians, including the killing of monks and civilians at a monastery last month.
