By Hlaing / MPA
A Myanmar military junta airstrike on Dawhpun Yang Town in Momauk Township, Kachin State, killed seven civilians and injured five others, according to a report by the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) Information Department.
A military jet fighter carried out a deliberate airstrike on Dawhpun Yang Town at 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday, despite no ongoing battles in the area.
One of the bombs struck the home of U Maung Oo in Wa Ngan Village, Dawhpun Yang, killing seven family members, including three children. Two other bombs reportedly hit Nang Ei Village, injuring five civilians, including a child.
A woman familiar with the incident told MPA, “The jet fighter dropped bombs that wiped out an entire family. The explosion was so powerful that the bodies were unrecognizable. Among the dead were young children.”
The victims of the attack were identified as U Maung Oo (53), Daw Aik Saw (56), Sai Lyan (25), Daw Cherry Htwe (22), Ma Kaliyar (3), Maung Aung Lin Htet (9), and Ma Yoon Mimi Sar (10). The airstrike also destroyed several homes.
A 30-year-old Bhamo resident reported that the military had been bombing villages across the river from Bhamo, including Hsin Hkan, Hnget Pyaw Taw, Mya Zay Di, Wa Ngan, and Nang Ei, despite no active fighting in those areas.
“Recently, they’ve been bombing one village every night,” she said. “On Saturday, they hit Hsin Hkan; on Monday, Mya Zay Di; and on Wednesday, Wa Ngan and Nang Ei—both Shan villages.”
During intense fighting for control of Bhamo, the military junta deployed drones to attack Laiza, home to the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) headquarters, on Jan.25, 2024. The following day, they launched an airstrike on the former KIO headquarters at Laisin Post.
The junta has been carrying out indiscriminate airstrikes on non-combat areas, often in response to losing strategically important battalions or outposts.
A Laiza resident noted, “Laiza remains calm, but some people said they heard the bombing from Momauk that night.”
This attack follows a similar airstrike on Oct.9, 2023, when the military bombed the Mung Lai Hkat IDP camp near Laiza, killing 29 civilians, including a two-year-old child, and injuring over 60 others.
Editor – Ko San
Translator – Z
