Myanmar resistance forces destroy junta helicopter in Magway Region

Resistance forces in Magway Region say they destroyed a military helicopter in Myaing Township on Tuesday, in the latest successful attack on a junta aircraft since the military takeover in 2021. The helicopter, identified as a Mi-17 transport aircraft, was parked at a helipad when it was struck by a suicide drone at about 3pm, according to statements by the National Unity Government (NUG) and the Magway People’s Defence Force (PDF). The attack was carried out by forces under the NUG’s Ministry of Defence and by groups not under NUG command, including the Magway PDF, the Ahnyar Fighters, and the Sagar Guerilla Force, the statements said. A Magway PDF officer confirmed the strike late Tuesday. “We were able to shoot today. It was at a location in Myaing Township,” the officer said. Resistance military sources told Myanmar Now the attack caused casualties among junta troops at the site. However, those claims could not be independently verified. Video footage circulated online appeared to show a helicopter on the ground while more than 20 junta soldiers loaded and unloaded supplies nearby. The footage showed a drone approaching the aircraft, prompting soldiers to scatter before an explosion struck the helicopter’s fuselage. “Those from the resistance groups shot it with a suicide drone; the Mi-17 is completely destroyed and can no longer be used,” a local resistance source said. Following the attack, Myanmar’s military launched airstrikes near the area, according to local resistance fighters. “Right now, they are shooting and attacking with Y-12s, Mi-30s, and jet fighters,” one resistance fighter said. “We can hear engine noises, indicating the military is going to completely clear the area.” Myaing Township, an oil-producing area in Magway Region, has become a stronghold for local resistance groups operating alongside forces aligned with the NUG. Independent confirmation of casualties or damage from the attack was not immediately available, and Myanmar’s military had not publicly commented on the incident at the time of reporting. Since the military seized power in February 2021, resistance groups and ethnic armed organisations have shot down a number of junta aircraft, which the regime has used extensively in its attacks on groups opposed to its rule. In June of last year, the People’s Liberation Army shot down a fighter jet during clashes to capture a junta outpost near Kant Daunt, a village in Sagaing Region's Pale Township. The Kachin Independence Army (KIA) has also carried out multiple successful attacks on military helicopters. In May of last year, the group and its allies struck two helicopters during an operation in Bhamo, Kachin State, reportedly downing one and forcing the other to crash land. At least 18 military personnel, including an officer, were reportedly killed. The group also downed a helicopter during a battle in Kachin State’s Momauk Township in May 2021. Another junta helicopter crashed near the KIA’s headquarters of Laiza in January 2024, although it was unclear at the time if it had been shot down or suffered a mechanical malfunction. In May 2024, ethnic Karenni forces shot down a helicopter in Karenni State’s Hpasawng Township. In November of the previous year, anti-junta forces in the state claimed responsibility for shooting down a fighter jet near the border with Karen State, but the military blamed the crash on engine failure. In November 2024, a junta helicopter travelling to the town of Ann in Rakhine State was forced to make an emergency landing in Magway Region after coming under fire from the Arakan Army.

Myanmar resistance forces destroy junta helicopter in Magway Region

Several soldiers were reportedly killed in the attack, which targeted the helicopter as it was parked at a heliport

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