Myanmar Airstrike Kills 16 Civilians in Sagaing Convoy

[geovalin]

CJ

 

Myanmar’s military junta has launched a deadly airstrike on a civilian convoy in Sagaing Township, killing 16 people and injuring at least 20 others, according to local resistance groups. The attack, which occurred on Monday, marks one of the deadliest assaults on non-combatants in the region this year.

 

Five fighter jets, reportedly deployed from Tada-U and Meiktila airbases, targeted a line of trucks stranded near Taung Yin junction amid ongoing clashes between regime forces and resistance fighters. The convoy, filled with war-displaced civilians and travellers, had been stuck for days along the Sagaing–Shwebo road.

 

Eyewitnesses described scenes of devastation as cargo and fuel trucks were engulfed in flames, with nearby homes and shops also damaged. “We found seven bodies on Monday and another nine on Tuesday. We cremated them,” said a resistance source. The attack appeared to be deliberate, with vehicles having passed through multiple military checkpoints beforehand.

 

An official from the Shwebo District People’s Defense Force suggested the strike was intended to divert resistance efforts toward rescue operations. “They deliberately targeted civilians,” he said.

 

The junta has intensified operations in Sagaing and neighbouring Wetlet townships since early July, deploying large numbers of troops and triggering widespread displacement. Thousands have fled their homes as fighting escalates along key transport routes.

 

Observers say the offensive is part of junta chief Min Aung Hlaing’s push to reclaim territory ahead of elections slated for December or January. The regime’s strategy appears increasingly reliant on aerial bombardments, despite international condemnation and mounting civilian casualties.

 

With the death toll rising and humanitarian access restricted, the Sagaing airstrike underscores the growing peril faced by Myanmar’s civilian population as the conflict deepens. Resistance groups continue to call for international attention and accountability, warning that such attacks are becoming alarmingly routine.