Myanmar airstrike kills 21 ahead disputed vote

A deadly airstrike has struck a village in northern Myanmar, killing at least 21 people and injuring dozens more, according to ethnic rebel sources. The attack comes just days before the military’s planned final round of elections, intensifying fears of escalating violence in the conflict-torn nation.

The strike hit Hteelin village, west of Bhamo in Kachin state, on Thursday afternoon. Colonel Naw Bu, spokesperson for the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), said a fighter jet bombed a compound where mourners had gathered, alongside a camp for displaced families, a school and the local market. Around 500 people were in the village at the time, including many who had fled fighting elsewhere. Among the wounded is an infant, with several victims reported to be in critical condition.

Independent confirmation remains difficult, with communications in the area largely cut off. Local media outlets have shared images of destroyed buildings and casualties, underscoring the scale of devastation.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military seized power from Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government in February 2021. Peaceful protests were met with lethal force, pushing many citizens to take up arms. Since then, more than 7,700 people are estimated to have been killed by security forces, according to rights groups.

Airstrikes have become a central tactic in the military’s campaign against both pro-democracy militias and long-standing ethnic insurgencies. The KIA, one of the country’s most prominent rebel groups, has fought for greater autonomy for decades and is loosely allied with the People’s Defense Force, which emerged after the coup.

The timing of the attack is particularly striking. Bhamo is one of three townships in Kachin scheduled to vote on Sunday in the final stage of the military-organised elections. Yet Naw Bu insists the poll cannot take place, as the KIA and allied forces control the town centre.

Critics argue the elections are neither free nor fair, pointing to the exclusion of major political parties and the suppression of dissent. For many, the latest violence only reinforces doubts about the legitimacy of the process.

As Myanmar heads into this weekend’s vote, the tragedy in Hteelin highlights the deep fractures within the country and the human cost of a conflict that shows little sign of easing.

-2026-01-25