Junta airstrikes kill dozens over 20 day span in Northern Shan

Myanmar’s military has intensified its campaign against the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) in northern Shan State, launching a wave of airstrikes since early October that have killed at least 38 people, according to local rights groups.Over the past two days, at least six people were killed in separate air attacks targeting TNLA-held areas in both northern Shan State and Mandalay Region, according to the TNLA’s press team.A junta airstrike on the village of Kun Hei, about six miles south of Namhsan in northern Shan State, killed a man and five women—including a 10-year-old girl—on Saturday night. The attack, which struck around 8 pm, also left four others injured, among them a 4-year-old boy. Around the same time, another airstrike hit a monastery along the road linking Kyaukme and Mongngwat, wounding two monks. Airstrikes have increased in northern Shan State as the junta seeks to pressure the TNLA after reclaiming Kyaukme and Hsipaw—two key towns on a major trade route to China. But despite retaking the urban centers, the regime has struggled to assert control over the surrounding townships, according to local sources.“The military is exerting pressure on the TNLA by targeting civilian areas with airstrikes,” a man from a TNLA-controlled area told Myanmar Now. “People have started to see things the way the military wants, believing they were bombed simply for living in rebel-held areas. So, their action is somewhat strategic.”On Sunday, junta airstrikes hit Namhsan, Mongngwat, and Manton townships, injuring two men and damaging multiple buildings, including homes, a fire station, and a tea leaf processing plant, according to local rights groups. On the same day at around 2:00pm, a junta warplane bombed western Mogok, a gemstone-mining hub in Mandalay Region. No civilian casualties were reported in the attack. According to Ta’ang Women's Organization, a grassroots group advocating for Ta’ang women’s rights and documenting abuses in northern Shan State, at least 38 people, including ten children, have been killed since October 2, along with dozens of injuries. This year, the military has taken control over three towns previously seized by the TNLA during the operation 1027, a large-scale offensive launched by the Brotherhood Alliance. Lashio, the largest town in northern Shan State, which had been captured by the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), was also handed over to the military regime after significant pressure from China. Under further pressure, the TNLA is expected to meet with the junta before November in a possible plan to bring an end to the fighting in northern Shan State.

Junta airstrikes kill dozens over 20 day span in Northern Shan

The military has stepped up aerial attacks on TNLA-held territory, striking civilian areas as it seeks to consolidate control over key trade routes

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