Myanmar military bombs areas under TNLA, AA control, killing 11

Junta aerial assaults struck areas controlled by two of the country’s most powerful ethnic armed groups on Monday and Tuesday, killing 11 civilians including seven women and a small child, according to locals. The bombing occurred in areas controlled by the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and the Arakan Army (AA), members of the anti-junta Brotherhood Alliance that have yet to reach a ceasefire agreement with the military regime despite pressure from the Chinese government to lay down their arms. Junta aircraft attacked the old Htun Ya Wai village in Rathedaung Township, Rakhine State at around 10am on Tuesday, reportedly killing at least 10 civilians and injuring 20. The airstrikes occurred despite the junta’s previous announcement of a ceasefire to facilitate earthquake relief efforts. The victims, who ranged in age from two to 54 years old, were all civilians, according to a local resident. “They dropped a bomb right in the middle of the village. I don’t think it was just a 500-pound bomb. Those usually leave a crater about five to six feet deep. This one left a hole around seven to eight feet deep, so I’d estimate it was closer to 600 pounds,” he said. Two of the victims were men aged 35 and 45. Seven women between 27 and 83 and a two-year-old girl were also killed. “The injured and deceased victims were caught by surprise and had no time to react, as there had been no previous fighting at the time it happened,” the local man said. “There was a previous incident when junta aircraft dropped a bomb near the monastery in Htun Ya Wai during clashes in the Rathedaung hills,” he added. “But since then, there have been no further attacks, and this area has not been an active conflict zone.” In addition to the casualties it caused, the airstrike damaged around 20 houses in what AA spokesperson Khaing Thukha called a human rights violation. “This is a grave war crime, and the military council must be held accountable for its actions,” he said. The junta air force launched another airstrike around 4am on Tuesday in Leik Kha Maw village in Rakhine State’s Kyaukphyu Township. Most of the village’s residents had already fled due to previous clashes, and there were no reported casualties. However, the attack started a fire at the village monastery, according to a local media outlet. In a statement issued on April 24, the AA’s Humanitarian and Development Coordination Office (HDCO) claimed the Myanmar military had attacked the townships of Kyaukphyu, Taungup, Kyauktaw, Sittwe, and Pauktaw in Rakhine State 409 times between April 2 and 22. These attacks, which included artillery strikes from naval vessels as well as fighter aircraft and paramotors, caused at least one death and 28 injuries, with children between 5 and 14 years old among the wounded. They also destroyed 21 houses, two stores, and a religious building, according to the HDCO. Several residents of Rathedaung were killed or injured, as seen in the afternoon of May 13 (Photo: One Nation News) Airstrikes on three TNLA-controlled towns The junta air force also launched airstrikes on the TNLA-controlled towns of Nawnghkio, Manton, and Mongngawt in northern Shan State on Monday, causing one civilian death and injuring three others. Bombs hit Manton at around 11am, with two detonating in Aung Chan Thar ward. The bombing killed one man, according to a northern Shan State source citing a first-hand account from a Manton resident. “The injured are not in critical condition. The deceased man was killed on the spot,” the northern Shan State source said. TNLA spokesperson Lway Ye Oo confirmed that a man had been killed and others had been injured in the bombing, but was not able to give further details about the identities of the victims. Shrapnel from the strikes also damaged around 30 residential houses in the ward. The air force also bombed Mongngawt around 7pm, with bombs exploding near a school and damaging a few buildings, according to a statement issued by the TNLA. Parts of Nawnghkio Township were also subjected to aerial attacks, with bombs as well as artillery shells and drones hitting the village of Yar Pyin around 5pm on the same day. The TNLA also claimed the junta used chemical weapons, dropping bombs that released a gas three times in Nawng Len village south of Nawnghkio. Clashes also continued in Tawng Hkam, another village south of the town. The TNLA has been fighting against the military council’s forces since late 2023, when it joined its allies in the sweeping “Operation 1027” offensive and went on to take control of more than 10 towns in northern Shan State and the city of Mogok, Mandalay Region from junta forces. The TNLA has continued to clash with the military even after its northern Shan State-based ally, the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, agreed to a ceasefire with the Myanmar military under pressure from China. Damage from bombing in TNLA-held territories: Manton and Mongngawt on May 13 (Photo: TNLA) Chinese-brokered peace talks between the TNLA and Myanmar military regime took place in late April but broke down before an agreement was reached. More talks are reportedly scheduled for August, but the Myanmar military has continued to bomb areas under TNLA control in the meantime. Junta airstrikes on villages in Mandalay and Sagaing Regions in central Myanmar have claimed the lives of around 45 people in the past few days. Attacks on a village in Depayin Township, Sagaing Region on Monday killed 22 civilians, most of whom were children. In addition to the 22 killed in Depayin Township, junta airstrikes killed 12 in Wetlet Township, five in Chaung-U Township, and six Singu Township, Mandalay Region between May 10 and 12. The military council has expressly denied responsibility for the incident in Depayin.

Myanmar military bombs areas under TNLA, AA control, killing 11

A two-year-old child and seven women in Rakhine State’s Rathedaung Township were among those killed by the regime’s airstrikes

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