YANGON: A Myanmar military air strike struck a civilian supply convoy stranded between junta forces and anti-coup rebels near Mandalay, killing at least eight people according to local witnesses.
Two residents from Sagaing region confirmed the attack occurred on Monday when aircraft bombed stationary trucks blocked by ongoing clashes near Taung Yin village, just 17 kilometres from Mandalay.
“There have been difficulties in identifying the dead bodies,” said one local source who requested anonymity, adding “some were scattered into pieces.”
Verified social media images showed burning vehicles and civilians carrying away casualties after the two-hour bombardment, which one resident said included an anti-junta fighter among the dead.
Myanmar’s military has escalated aerial attacks across central regions where it recently regained territory from rebel groups opposing its planned December election.
The second witness stated the trucks carried fuel destined for rebel-held areas, suggesting the strike aimed to disrupt supplies reaching opposition zones.
“The road had been blocked due to the Military Council’s offensive,” he explained, noting “we could not even raise our heads” during the sustained attack.
Junta officials offered no comment on the incident amid ongoing clashes that have displaced 3.5 million people since the 2021 coup triggered nationwide conflict.
Pro-democracy forces and ethnic armies have rejected the military’s election plan, dismissing it as an attempt to legitimise continued dictatorship despite recent battlefield gains. – AFP
