Novice monk among those killed by Myanmar junta drone strikes north of Mandalay

Junta troops conducted a deadly drone strike in Madaya Township, Mandalay Region on Wednesday amid ongoing efforts to recapture territory from the armed resistance, spokespersons for the Mandalay Region People's Defense Force (MDY-PDF) said. According to a statement and photos released by the MDY-PDF on Thursday, drones attacked a Buddhist religious building in Let Kaung Gyi village around three miles northeast of Madaya at around 9am the previous day. A young novice monk and two young women who were inside the building died from injuries sustained in the attack. On November 26, before the attack, junta troops also conducted a drone strike on Mya Kan Tha village in Patheingyi Township, Mandalay, severely injuring two men tending to a herd of goats and killing five of the goats, according to a Patheingyi Township resident. “There was no fighting on the ground,” the man living in Patheingyi said. The battles have subsided in both eastern Madaya and Patheingyi Township lately.” “They are just randomly launching bombs using drones,” he said, referring to the military. He added that both severely injured victims were rushed to the hospital, but that detailed follow-up information is not yet available. “Since they were hit in the head, I think they might die,” he said. “The five goats died instantly when the bomb landed.” A comparable attack on October 11 by the junta air force killed 12 civilians including monks and children in an IDP camp in Madaya Township’s Waw Su village. Madaya Township has traditionally served as a buffer for the military between resistance-controlled territories in northern Myanmar and the central, strategically important cities of Mandalay and Pyin Oo Lwin. Because full control of Madaya Township would enable resistance forces to launch attacks on Mandalay—Myanmar’s second most populous city—or allow the military to launch a counteroffensive to retake the town of Singu, Thabeikkyin, and Tagaung from the armed resistance, the township is strategically important for both sides. After initiating a counteroffensive on November 17 to retake territory from the resistance in Madaya Township, the military recaptured the western side of the township after six days of fighting. The novice monk who was killed by a junta drone strike in Madaya Township (Photo- MDY-PDF) According to the Region 1 command under the Ministry of Defence of the publicly mandated National Unity Government (NUG), despite the resistance’s territorial losses, 12 junta soldiers were killed during the six days of fighting including a major, and the resistance forces succeeded in capturing weapons and ammunition from the military. Although the junta now controls western Madaya Township, fighting is ongoing in the remaining areas of the township, according to the Pyin Oo Lwin District People's Defence Force (PDF) Battalion 512 operating under the command of the NUG. Body of a PDF fighter being moved, released on November 21 (Photo-PDF Battalion 512) The MDY-PDF and its allies still control the east side of Madaya Township and have temporarily restricted travel on the Madaya-Singu-Thabeikkyin road since November 25. In announcing the restrictions, The MDY-PDF said they were putting them in place for the safety of civilian travellers amid frequent fighting. They also said the trade or purchase of military-produced goods was prohibited, and that there would be severe penalties for those failing to comply with the ban. A spokesperson for the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), another anti-junta group, said that the MDY-PDF may also restrict travel on the Madaya-Singu-Thabeikkyin road to head off junta counteroffensives. “Madaya is close to Mandalay. It connects with Singu, and Singu is in Thabeikkyin District,” the PLA spokesperson explained. “If they come from the direction of Madaya, they're getting quite close to this side, so I think MDY-PDF may close the road beforehand to block their route.” The PLA is currently conducting military operations in Singu and Thabeikkyin townships in coordination with the MDY-PDF’s operations. The PLA, Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), MDY-PDF, and other allied, anti-junta forces launched offensive operations in the townships of Madaya, Singu, and Thabeikkyin Townships north of Mandalay earlier this year, ultimately capturing and holding Singu Township. In Thabeikkyin Township, resistance forces have captured the town centre but three outposts remain in the regime forces’ hands: the 7-Mile village camp, Military Advanced Training Depot 13, and the Electrical Engineering Force base. According to another PLA spokesperson, combined PLA and TNLA forces are surrounding and attacking the training depot, while junta forces attack by both ground and air. Since late last year, many local civilians have been displaced due to intensifying battles in Madaya, with most taking shelter in nearby villages, farms, and IDP camps. “During previous battles, civilians have taken major risks and suffered painful hardships in fleeing their homes, especially since the military is targeting civilians,” she said. According to records kept by the Madaya Township People's Administration Organization (PAO), there are 38 camps for displaced persons in the township as of mid-November, and approximately 5,650 people from 1,688 households have been displaced. Displaced woman from Madaya Township seen with her child in November 2024 (Photo-Supplied)

Novice monk among those killed by Myanmar junta drone strikes north of Mandalay

Amid a counteroffensive by junta forces in Madaya Township, a village’s Buddhist religious centre was attacked by a drone, killing a novice monk and two young women

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