Myanmar Junta Continues to Bomb Civilians Targets in Lashio

Myanmar’s junta continued its airstrikes on civilian targets in northern Shan State’s capital Lashio under the control of the ethnic Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) early Monday, destroying civilian houses.

Junta fighter jets dropped three highly destructive 500-lb bombs on the residential wards of Lashio at 12:34 a.m. on Monday, said the Lashio Reconstruction group, which was formed by the ethnic army to rehabilitate the war-torn city.

The airstrikes destroyed civilian houses and seriously injured a resident.

“The airstrikes against the resistance-liberated areas are intended to frighten the residents and it is also a destructive act by the junta,” a Lashio resident told The Irrawaddy on Monday.

On Saturday evening, junta aircraft bombed residential wards of the city, destroying several houses and vehicles.

The Lashio Reconstruction group also said that the military regime is inhumanely attacking civilian targets such as houses, hotels and markets in the city.

Before dawn on Friday, the junta’s air force dropped 15 bombs, including large 500- and 200-pound bombs, on Lashio’s market and residential areas, killing two civilians and wounding six others including a pregnant woman.

Many shops at the city market were also destroyed. The airstrikes came hours after the junta invited “terrorist” anti-regime groups, including ethnic armed revolutionary organizations (EROs) and People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) loyal to the civilian National Unity Government (NUG), to peace talks.

The junta has conducted around 10 aerial bombardments on Lashio city since the MNDAA and its allies took complete control of it in early August.

The Myanmar junta’s air force has escalated airstrikes on civilian targets in resistance territory across the country since early September after junta boss Min Aung Hlaing vowed to retake lost territory. The junta boss also said that the regime will launch attacks on the towns and villages where resistance forces are stationed.

Many military supporters have urged the junta to bomb all towns seized by the resistance groups.

This month the junta has conducted over 40 airstrikes on civilian targets including towns, cities, schools, markets, and IDP (internally displaced persons) camps in liberated territory, killing over 180 people, including more than a dozen children.