Guwahati: Myanmar’s military carried out air strikes on the town of Kanbalu in the Sagaing region on Tuesday night.
According to reports, up to 100 people including children were killed in tuesday’s airstrike in the Sagaing region of northwestern Myanmar, making it one of the deadliest in recent military airstrikes.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the 2021 cops that included the rule of a civilian government led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi.
According to reports, the office of the opposition camp was attacked by aircraft during the opening ceremony. The United Nations and Western powers have condemned the attack and demanded accountability.
The Southeast Asian country has plunged into chaos and its economy has collapsed since the military seized power in February 2021.
As per reports, UN rights chief Volker Turk said he was “terrified” by the deadly air strike.
The world is seeking justice for those people. However, the United Nations has not confirmed the death toll. But many citizens said they were killed. Volker Turk has again accused Myanmar’s military of “clear legal obligations and negligence in protecting civilians.”
“Today, we strongly condemn the attack by the Myanmar armed forces,” Un Secretary-General Antonio Guterres spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
The spokesman added that “Guterres reiterates his call to the military to end violent operations against the people across the country.”
Meanwhile, the US said it was deeply concerned about the air strikes. The attack was initially estimated to have killed 50 people but the number has now risen to around 100. The incident could not be independently confirmed due to sanctions imposed by the military government.
A rescuer linked to the anti-coup People’s Defence Force group told AFP that women and children were among the dead. After the bodies were recovered and the victims were taken for treatment, he estimated that the death toll could be as high as hundred.
Earlier in March, an attack in Shan state killed more than 30 people who had taken refuge in monasteries.
Jun spokesman Zhao Min Tun told military broadcast channel Mayavady late on Tuesday that the attack at the event organised by the Shadow Administration National Unity Government (NUG) for their armed People’s Defence Force was aimed at restoring peace and tranquillity in the region.
“We attacked that inauguration. The PDF members were killed. They are the ones who are opposing the government of the country, the people of the country,” said Zhao Min Tun.
“As per our land records, we hit their weapons storage site and it exploded and resulted in the death of people,” he said.
On the allegations of civilian casualties, he said that “some people who were forced to support them probably also died”.