International

Myanmar ethnic armed group says 11 civilians killed in junta air strikes

KathmanduPati September 06, 2024

File Photo

MYANMAR – Myanmar military air strikes in northern Shan state killed 11 civilians and wounded 11 more, a spokeswoman for an ethnic minority armed group battling the junta told AFP on Friday.

“They (the military) bombed at two areas in Namhkam” town on Friday around 1:00 am local time (1830 GMT), Lway Yay Oo of the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) said.

The strikes killed 11 and wounded 11, she said, adding that the office of a local political party had been damaged.

Namhkam is around 5 kilometres (3 miles) from the border with China’s Yunnan province, with TNLA fighters claiming control of the town following weeks of fighting last year.

Images on social media showed people sifting through rubble and carrying a young person who appeared to be wounded.

One video showed several destroyed buildings. AFP reporters geolocated that video to a site in Namhkam and said it had not appeared online before.