Children among 100 killed in Myanmar military airstrike

Airstrikes carried out by Myanmar's military have killed as many as 100 people, many of whom are feared to be children.

The strike is one of the deadliest so far in the civil war and was aimed at those attending a ceremony held by opponents of army rule, according to independent media.

The military is increasingly using airstrikes to counter a widespread armed struggle against its rule, which began in February 2021 when it seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

More than 3,000 civilians are estimated to have been killed since then by security forces.

The United Nations, United States and others strongly condemned the attack and pledged to work toward holding the military accountable.

A witness told AP that a fighter jet dropped bombs directly onto a crowd of people who had gathering for the opening of an office of the country’s opposition movement, outside Pazigyi village in Sagaing region’s Kanbalu township.

The area is about 110 kilometers (70 miles) north of Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city.

About half an hour later, a helicopter appeared and fired at the site, said the witness, who asked not to be identified because he feared punishment by the authorities.

Initial reports put the death toll at around 50, but later tallies reported by independent media raised it to about 100.

“I was standing a short distance from the crowd when a friend of mine contacted me on the phone about the approach of a fighter jet,” the witness said.

“The jet dropped bombs directly on the crowd, and I jumped into a nearby ditch and hid. A few moments later, when I stood up and looked around, I saw people cut to pieces and dead in the smoke.

"While the wounded were being transported, a helicopter arrived and shot more people. We are now cremating the bodies quickly.”

About 150 people had gathered for the opening ceremony, and 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.

The military government's spokesperson, Major General Zaw Min Tun, acknowledged the ceremony had been attacked, but accused anti-government forces of perpetrating the incident.

However, analysts for the United Nations have gathered evidence of large-scale human rights abuses by the army, including the burning of entire villages and displacement of more than a million people, triggering a humanitarian crisis.

The death toll from the air attack, if confirmed, could be the highest in more than two years of civil conflict that began when the army seized power in 2021.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the army takeover triggered widespread opposition.

After peaceful demonstrations were put down with lethal force, many opponents of military rule took up arms, and large parts of the country are now embroiled in conflict.

Human rights group Amnesty International said in a statement: “The relentless air attacks across Myanmar highlight the urgent need to suspend the import of aviation fuel. Amnesty reiterates its calls on all states and businesses to stop shipments that may end up in the hands of the Myanmar Air Force.”

It comes after a number of western nations have imposed arms embargoes on the military government while cutting off the supply of jet fuel to Myanmar.

Amnesty also urged the UN Security Council to "push through effective actions to hold the Myanmar military accountable, including by referring the situation in the country to the International Criminal Court.”

The UN said those responsible for the attack must be brought to justice.

Spokesman Stephane Dujarric stressed that the injured must receive medical treatment, which is “often a challenge in these circumstances.”

The US also plans to continue working with the international community to hold the military government accountable for violations and abuses, the State Department said in a statement.

“These violent attacks further underscore the regime’s disregard for human life and its responsibility for the dire political and humanitarian crisis in Burma,” said Vedant Patel, principal deputy spokesperson at the State Department, using Myanmar's former name.

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