Myanmar Military Airstrike Kills 11 Civilians, Including Women and Children, in Rebel-Held Village

YANGON (Terror Monitor) — At least 11 people, including six women and two children, were killed in a Myanmar military airstrike on a village in the country’s central region, a member of the anti-junta resistance said on Saturday, as the civil war continues to claim civilian lives.

The attack took place at approximately 2 p.m. local time on Friday in Yesagyo Township, southwest of Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city, according to Bo Paw, a member of the People’s Defence Force (PDF), an armed resistance group fighting the military government.

The affected area is under the control of the PDF, which emerged following the military coup in February 2021 and has since fought alongside ethnic minority armed organizations against the military authorities.

According to a report by Agence France-Presse (AFP), Bo Paw said 11 people were killed in the airstrike, including six women and two children. One of the children was a one-year-old who had only recently begun walking.

The Myanmar military could not be reached for comment regarding the reported attack, AFP said.

Homes Destroyed and Civilians Killed

A witness who spoke to AFP described widespread destruction at the scene, saying three houses near the roadside had been completely destroyed by the bombing.

“I saw three houses which were totally destroyed,” the witness said, describing the locations of the buildings near the point where the bomb struck.

The witness added that all 11 victims were killed at the scene, including an 11-year-old schoolboy who was riding a bicycle when the attack occurred.

The reported deaths of women and children have renewed concerns about the impact of aerial attacks on civilians living in areas controlled by anti-junta resistance forces.

Independent verification of the reported casualties and the circumstances surrounding the attack was not immediately available.

Myanmar’s Civil War Continues After 2021 Coup

Myanmar has been engulfed in a civil war since the military seized power in February 2021, overthrowing the elected government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

The coup triggered widespread protests and a crackdown by the military, prompting thousands of opponents of military rule to take up arms.

The People’s Defence Force subsequently emerged as an armed resistance movement aligned with the pro-democracy opposition. Its fighters have operated alongside established ethnic minority armed organizations that have resisted central government control for decades.

The conflict has spread across large parts of the country, with fighting, airstrikes and other military operations contributing to civilian deaths, displacement and extensive damage to homes and infrastructure.

According to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED), a conflict-monitoring organization, more than 100,000 people have been killed in Myanmar since the civil war began.

Resistance Forces Face Pressure Around Mandalay

Despite making significant territorial gains against the military in earlier phases of the conflict, resistance forces have recently faced mounting pressure around Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city.

The fighting around Mandalay is strategically important because the city is a major commercial and transportation hub in central Myanmar.

The military has continued operations against resistance-held areas, while anti-junta groups have sought to maintain control over territory and challenge the authority of the military government.

The latest reported airstrike in Yesagyo Township underscores the continuing dangers faced by civilians in areas affected by the fighting.

Although the military’s position on the specific incident was not immediately available, reports of civilian casualties from conflict-affected areas have continued to raise questions about the protection of non-combatants during military operations.

International Concerns Over Civilian Casualties

The latest incident comes amid continuing international concern over airstrikes and other military operations in Myanmar.

On October 3, Reuters reported that the Philippines, which currently chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), had expressed concern over deaths, injuries and destruction caused by a separate airstrike in Myanmar’s western Rakhine State.

The Philippines also indicated its willingness to facilitate regional discussions on the crisis.

However, the October 3 incident in Rakhine State was separate from Friday’s reported attack in Yesagyo Township.

The latest reported deaths highlight the broader humanitarian consequences of Myanmar’s prolonged conflict, in which civilians remain exposed to violence as fighting continues between the military and a range of armed opposition groups.

With no immediate response from the military regarding the Yesagyo attack, the circumstances surrounding the strike remain subject to further verification.