Myanmar Military Airstrikes, 100 people killed: Horrifying scene aftermath
Myanmar’s ruling junta confirmed that it carried out an air strike on Tuesday on a village where at least 100 people, including many children and reporters, were killed.
The incident took place when the people were gathered for the opening of a local office of the country’s opposition movement outside Pazigyi village in Sagaing region’s Kanbalu Township.
As per the witness “The Associated Press that a fighter jet dropped bombs directly onto a crowd of around 150 people at around 8 am on Tuesday”.
Women and 20 to 30 children were among the dead, he said, adding that those killed also included leaders of locally formed anti-government armed groups and other opposition organisations.
Watch the Video of the Horrifying scene aftermath
Breaking News: Myanmar’s military has launched air attacks on Tuesday on a village in which at least 100 people,
including many children and reporters, were killed. #Myanmar, #MyanmarJunta
Video Credit: Al Jazeera English pic.twitter.com/o8PUfnbb1i— The Telegraph Daily (@TheTelegraphDa1) April 12, 2023
Witnesses also added that after the initial attack, a helicopter appeared about half an hour later and fired at the site. Though, initially the accurate casualties are unknown as the military government restricts reporting.
Meanwhile, the Myanmar junta confirmed the attack on Tuesday night and said, “We attacked that place.”
A spokesperson for the military government said, “There was (a People’s Defence Force) office opening ceremony… (Tuesday) morning about 8 am at Pazi Gyi village.
The People’s Defence Force is the armed wing of the National Unity Government, which calls itself the country’s legitimate government, in opposition to the army.
The spokesperson said some of those who were killed were anti-coup fighters in uniform, though “there could be some people with civilian clothes”. He also blamed mines planted by the People’s Defence Force for some of the deaths, said a report by AFP.
United Nation’s Reaction
The United Nations strongly condemned the attack with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterating his call for the military to end the campaign of violence against the Myanmar population.
US State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said such “violent attacks” underscore the “regime’s disregard for human life and its responsibility for the dire political and humanitarian crisis” in the country.
The opposition National Unity Government also called the attack a “heinous act by the terrorist military”. It said it was “another example of their indiscriminate use of extreme force against innocent civilians, constituting a war crime”. The office was opened on Tuesday as part of its administrative network.
