Myanmar Military Attack on Village Kills 24 Amid Buddhist Festival

Bangkok, Oct 8 (AP) — Myanmar's military launched a paraglider attack on a village, resulting in the deaths of at least 24 individuals, including children, and injuring over 50 others. This information comes from a member of a resistance group, villagers, and media sources. The attack took place on Monday night, targeting a village in Myanmar's central Sagaing region. This village was in the midst of a Buddhist festival, which also included a demonstration demanding the release of political prisoners held by Myanmar's military government. Myanmar has been embroiled in a civil war since the army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. Resistance forces currently hold control over much of the country, including Bon To village, the site of the attack, located approximately 90 kilometers west of Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city.

Amnesty International issued a statement condemning the attack, expressing the need for urgent protection of civilians in Myanmar following the attack on Monday night. According to a member of a local resistance group who attended the event, over 100 people from Bon To and surrounding villages gathered at the village's primary school compound on Monday evening. They were participating in an oil lamp lighting ceremony to mark the end of the Buddhist Lent and calling for the release of political prisoners, including Suu Kyi. A motorized paraglider dropped two bombs at approximately 7:15 pm, killing an estimated 20 to 40 people, which included children, villagers, and members of local political activist groups and armed anti-military groups. The resistance fighter spoke with The Associated Press on Wednesday, requesting anonymity to protect his safety. He reported being among the more than 50 wounded in the attack.

The resistance fighter also mentioned an alert had been raised through a network of mobile phones and walkie-talkies, tracking the paraglider's approach from the army's northwestern military command in Monywa, situated about 25 kilometers north of Bon To village. Another local resident who attended the ceremony relayed that the crowd started to disperse upon hearing reports of the incoming paraglider. However, it arrived sooner than anticipated, unleashing bombs while people were still gathered in the school. The resident, involved in rescue efforts post-attack, noted at least 24 fatalities, although the death toll may rise as family members and rescue workers independently collected bodies. Both witnesses reported that the paraglider revisited the site around 11 pm, dropping two more bombs, which fortunately did not cause further casualties.

The military has not confirmed conducting an attack in the area. Since the 2021 power seizure by the army, over 7,300 individuals have reportedly been killed by security forces, as documented by various NGOs. Myanmar's military is known to utilize Chinese and Russian-built combat aircraft and helicopters. However, since late last year, there has been an increased deployment of low-tech motorized paragliders, likely as a cost-saving measure. Resistance forces currently lack effective countermeasures against any type of air assault. (AP)

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