Civilians fleeing Myanmar junta offensive killed by airstrikes in Sagaing

Airstrikes by Myanmar’s military have killed at least seven people and injured more than a dozen others in Sagaing Region’s Khin-U Township in recent days, as civilians flee clashes in Mandalay Region’s Singu Township, according to local sources. The latest casualties were reported on Thursday following airstrikes targeting a section of the Shwebo-Myitkyina road about five miles east of the junta-controlled town of Khin-U. The area, located some 10 miles west of the Ayeyarwady River, which separates Khin-U and Singu townships, is under resistance control. Local sources told Myanmar Now that hundreds of vehicles have been stranded in the area since early this month, when regime forces closed the road at Kyi Kyin, a village in neighbouring Kanbalu Township some 10 miles to the north of the site of the strikes. “The military knew there were many vehicles stranded along the route. They even deployed drones before launching their airstrikes,” said a local resistance administrator. “The airstrikes hit areas where civilians earn their livelihoods, including shops, eateries, and teashops. They also fired mortars and machine guns. It’s extremely cruel,” he added. At least one man was killed after being hit in the head by a piece of shrapnel, sources said. Six others, including a 16-year-old girl, were reported injured. A second round of airstrikes later the same day ignited a massive fire after hitting a teashop and fuel depot, locals reported. “A bomb landed directly on the fuel storage compound. It caught fire immediately, sending up thick black smoke. After that, the bombing continued incessantly,” said a local man who asked to remain anonymous. Around 300 barrels of oil were destroyed in the blast, sources said. There have also been reports of drone attacks and airstrikes on piers along both sides of the Ayeyarwady River, as thousands of displaced civilians attempt to flee recent clashes in Mandalay Region. On Wednesday, at least six people were killed when junta warplanes hit several villages along the river where displaced residents had taken shelter from the junta’s push to retake Singu, a town that had been under resistance control since July of last year. Resistance forces confirmed their retreat from Singu on Thursday, after nearly a month of intense fighting. More attacks were carried out along the river on Friday, but casualty figures were not available at the time of reporting. “Five suicide drones dropped bombs on the village of Koke Tet before a jet fighter carried out three rounds of airstrikes at around 11am this morning,” a resistance fighter from Khin-U Township told Myanmar Now on Friday. “So far, we do not have any information on civilian casualties,” he added. The regime has in recent months regained control over most areas north of Mandalay that were captured by resistance forces last year at the height of Operation 1027, an anti-junta offensive launched by an alliance of ethnic armed groups in October 2023. Its ongoing counteroffensive in northern Mandalay Region has sent many fleeing across the Ayeyarwady River to Sagaing Region, where the regime is also increasing its pressure on resistance forces. “A large number of displaced people are seeking refuge in Khin-U Township. We were able to provide some support initially but resources are now running low. We need urgent aid, particularly for food and other essential supplies,” a member of the township’s civilian administrative team said.

Civilians fleeing Myanmar junta offensive killed by airstrikes in Sagaing

The latest killings in Sagaing Region’s Khin-U Township come as the regime intensifies its efforts to retake towns across the Ayeyarwady River in northern Mandalay Region

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