The Tigyaing Township People’s Administration reports that nine civilians were killed in an airstrike on Maung Kone village, an area controlled by resistance forces in the township, Sagaing Region.
According to reports, a fighter jet from Meiktila Air Base reportedly bombed the area near Maung Kone village market around 3 pm on 1 September.
An official from the Tigyaing Township People’s Administration said: “The bombs hit two places.
One exploded in front of the Pi Pi Yi Yi Restaurant near the village market and another at the gate of Great Wall Wai Mar Sugar Mill. The bomb that hit in front of the restaurant exploded on a truck carrying oil barrels, killing nine civilians close by.”
The airstrike also damaged houses and some buildings, injuring 10 other civilians, the official added.
The targeted area is a civilian marketplace with no ongoing fighting. The Tigyaing Township People’s Administration claims it was a deliberate attack by the military council on a civilian-populated area.
Following the airstrike on Maung Kone village, residents have started to flee to safer areas. The resistance forces have warned people to remain vigilant.
“The Maung Kone incident is a wake-up call to the danger of airstrikes at this time. People have become careless and still look up at the airplanes. We’d like to remind everyone to be as careful as possible when airplanes approach and not to forget to seek shelter. At the moment some locals have fled,” said the person in charge of the Tigyaing Revolution (TR).
On the same day as the airstrike, 1 September, some junta’s warships traveling upstream from Gaw Wein Jetty in Mandalay Region via the Irrawaddy River were reportedly attacked and damaged.
The bombed Maung Kone village is home to a Chinese-owned nickel factory that resistance forces seized in the last week of July, along with taking control of the village itself.
Since the second week of August, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF), and People’s Defense Forces (PDF) under the National Union Government (NUG) have been conducting operations to capture Tigyaing, Indaw, and Pinlebu areas along the Sagaing-Kachin border.
Sent by NMG.
