In the past ten days, Myanmar’s military has unleashed more than 35 airstrikes, killing over 50 civilians. Fighter jets, helicopters, and even motorized paragliders have been used to bomb villages, hospitals, and displacement camps. While world leaders watch from afar, thousands in Myanmar live in fear. How did airstrikes become the junta’s weapon of choice?
BY PC Bureau
Myanmar’s military has reportedly killed at least 53 civilians and injured around 80 others in a series of airstrikes over the past 10 days. Fighter jets, Y-12 airplanes, helicopters, and motorized paragliders have carried out at least 35 attacks between February 10 and 19, targeting schools, displacement camps, hospitals, and religious sites. The airstrikes have been reported in Magwe, Sagaing, Mandalay, and Tanintharyi regions, as well as in Rakhine, Kachin, Shan, Mon, and Karenni (Kayah) states.
The Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) reported that on Wednesday night, junta warplanes bombed a public hospital and residential areas in Nawnghkio, northern Shan State, an area under the armed group’s control. The attack killed three civilians and injured four others.
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The escalation comes just days after China-mediated peace negotiations between the Myanmar junta and the TNLA collapsed in Kunming, Yunnan Province. The TNLA walked away from the talks, citing the military’s continued air raids on its territory despite ongoing discussions. The two sides have tentatively agreed to resume negotiations in April, but the situation on the ground remains volatile.
“The regime is deliberately targeting civilians, even in areas with no active clashes,” the TNLA said in a statement, urging residents to stay on high alert.
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Last Saturday, a Harbin Y-12 aircraft dropped 38 bombs on a village in Nawnghkio Township, according to the TNLA. Other recent attacks include a paramotor strike on Chaung Ma village in Sagaing Region’s Kani Township on Tuesday, which killed five civilians, including a child.
🚨 The destruction of a school
☑️ Kyaikto, Mon
13 February 2025On 13 February, at around noon, the Myanmar Air Force (MAF) reportedly conducted an airstrike on a school in Kaw Kat village, Kyaikto township.
According to the local news, the airstrike hit a school, but no… pic.twitter.com/hydoSFEZjA
— Myanmar Witness (@MyanmarWitness) February 18, 2025
An Irrawaddy study found that the junta carried out airstrikes in 40 townships in January alone, killing at least 170 people. By August last year, Nyan Lynn Thit Analytica reported that the military had conducted at least 3,292 airstrikes, resulting in approximately 1,749 deaths.
On February 10, at least 20 bombs were dropped on the TNLA-held ruby town of Mogoke in northern Mandalay Region, killing five civilians and injuring 19 others. In Kachin State, junta warplanes bombed three villages in Momauk Township on Wednesday, killing a family of seven and injuring five more. Three civilians were also killed in Bhamo Township on Tuesday, where the military is engaged in clashes with the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) and its allies.
The continued escalation raises concerns about the future of negotiations and China’s role as a mediator. Despite Beijing’s efforts to broker peace, the Myanmar military’s actions on the ground have further destabilized conflict-affected regions, casting doubt on the prospect of a ceasefire.
Briefing report on the extensive airstrike and relentless aerial bombardment on Monywa and
Kalay Township in Sagaing Region on 12-14 February, 2025
Myanmar
17 February 2025#humanrights#breifingreport#Monywa#Kalay#AirStrike#CrimesAgainstHumanity#Mohr pic.twitter.com/4a7ccbqUwO— Ministry of Human Rights (@mohr_nug) February 17, 2025
