Schoolgirl among five civilians killed in junta airstrikes north of Mandalay

Junta bombing raids killed a 10-year-old girl and four other civilians on Tuesday night in Mandalay Region’s Madaya Township, local residents said. The bombs fell in the villages of Wa Thon Da Ra and Mya Kan Thar on the line between Madaya and Patheingyi townships, hitting the home of a family in the basket-weaving business. The deceased included a fifth-grade schoolgirl who had recently taken exams and several of their family members, according to their neighbours, but detailed information about their names, ages, and circumstances is not yet available.“The aircraft emitted a trail of smoke and then the explosion went off at the home of the family, who are basket-makers,” said a man in his 60s living in Madaya Township. “I don’t know if it was a bomb or fired from a weapon above. Four people died yesterday, and one more died this morning at the hospital, so that’s five dead altogether. Many others were injured.”The family’s house was located behind a farming supply store between two villages. At least 10 people were reportedly injured nearby.“The girl who died was very good at her studies. She was friends with my granddaughter,” the man said. “I don't know yet who the other family members were.”The funeral for the slain victims is scheduled for Thursday at a cemetery near the village, he added. Villagers injured in the attack have reportedly been transported to Mandalay General Hospital. A woman assisting with relief efforts for displaced people said junta aircraft carried out eight airstrikes between Tuesday evening and the late-night hours, dropping more than 50 bombs throughout Madaya Township. “They bombed everywhere, both in areas with fighting and areas with no connection to the conflict. Fighting is ongoing in the vicinity of Kyauk Ta Dar, Bo Kone, and Wa Thon Da Ra villages,” the woman said on Wednesday. “There was fighting yesterday too. It’s intense. We can’t go to those areas now. All the roads are closed.”Daily clashesResistance forces and their allies have been fighting fiercely against resistance forces and their allies have occurred almost daily in Mandalay Region’s Madaya and Thabeikkyin townships since last month, according to local sources and resistance fighters.The anti-junta forces, led by the Mandalay Region People’s Defence Forces (MDY-PDF), are battling army troops near Myaung Thit and Bo Kone villages on the Mandalay-Myitkyina road southeast of Madaya. Clashes between the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and regime forces are concentrated near Thabeikkyin Township’s 7-Mile Village. Clashes between the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) and regime forces are concentrated near Thabeikkyin Township’s 7-Mile Village. Since mid-February this year, junta troops have been reinforcing their forces in both townships and launching offensives against defensive lines controlled by resistance forces, resulting in renewed battles, according to locals living in these two townships.“There's fighting almost every day, even if not direct combat daily. Yesterday (March 10), there was a major direct battle, and there were casualties on both sides, but I don't know if there were few or many," said a man from Madaya Township who is aware of the battle situation.Under constant aerial and artillery attacks, resistance fighters say they have been forced to fall back in Madaya Township, but have held most of the ground they captured.“We’ve had to give up some areas near village entrances, which has expanded the enemy’s supply routes. But we haven’t given up much, just one position,” said a local resistance fighter involved in the battles. In Operation 1027, the People’s Defence Forces of the publicly-mandated National Unity Government controlled areas from the north and east of Madaya Township to near Madaya Town, with both sides maintaining their own defensive positions before the junta launched this counteroffensive.During the second phase of the Operation 1027 offensive campaign in 2024, People’s Defence Forces (PDF) commanded by the publicly mandated National Unity Government gained ground against the junta north of Mandalay, besieging base camps in Thabeikkyin Township’s Kyauk Gyi, Twin Nge, and 7-Mile villages. However, junta forces regrouped and launched a counteroffensive in November of last year, retaking Twin Nge. The junta air force has been conducting frequent attacks using paramotors in addition to planes and gunships in Mandalay and Magway regions. Resistance forces, who are still developing effective tactics to counter these attacks, have advised civilians to prepare bomb shelters and remain alert to signs of airstrikes.

Schoolgirl among five civilians killed in junta airstrikes north of Mandalay

Following ongoing, fierce clashes on the ground, the regime’s air force bombed villages in Madaya and Patheingyi townships throughout the night on Tuesday

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