Myanmar military kills six in drone attack on clinic in Sagaing Region

A junta drone attack on a clinic in Sagaing Region’s Budalin Township on Wednesday left six people dead and many others injured, according to resistance sources. The incident occurred after several bombs were dropped on a security checkpoint operated by anti-regime groups near the village of Hta Naung Taw at around 10am, the sources said. Resistance fighters who were injured in that initial attack were evacuated to a nearby clinic, which then became the target of another, deadlier drone strike, they added. “They used six-propeller drones to continue their attack, hitting the clinic twice while the injured troops were getting medical treatment,” said a member of a local resistance group. One of the deceased was identified as Aye Aye Thin, a healthcare provider who was taking part in the Civil Disobedience Movement. The others were all anti-regime fighters active in the area. At least 15 people were injured, with some said to be in serious condition. Budalin Township is located just north of Monywa, the capital of Sagaing Region and the seat of the junta’s Northwestern Regional Military Command (RMC), which oversees military operations in Sagaing and Magway regions and Chin State. The checkpoint that was hit in the first attack was located just four miles from the RMC headquarters, resistance sources told Myanmar Now. Junta drone attacks were also reportedly carried out on a school and a shop in the village of Ywar Shay, also in Budalin Township, on Thursday morning, but no further details were available at the time of reporting. Resistance forces in the area said they believed this was the first time the military had used drones to drop bombs, a tactic that has been widely adopted by forces fighting the regime. “They are fighting us using our own tactics now,” said one resistance fighter in Budalin, noting that until now, the regime has only used drones for scouting purposes. According to pro-regime Telegram channels, the military has been developing explosives that can be delivered using drones so that it can carry out its own “drone offensives.” Zin Yaw, a former Myanmar army captain who defected to the resistance after the 2021 coup, confirmed that the regime appears to be stepping up its efforts to deploy drones more effectively against its enemies. “The junta is now using four-propeller drones that can drop 81mm and 60mm shells,” he said. This has many in the resistance worried, as they say they lack the resources to develop anti-drone defence systems. “All we can do is flee to safer areas or hide in trenches when we hear them coming. This is a new threat, and it’s becoming a real concern,” said an officer with an anti-junta group based in Budalin.

Myanmar military kills six in drone attack on clinic in Sagaing Region

Resistance forces say the incident marks an escalation of the junta’s use of drones against its enemies

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