Myanmar junta airstrike on peaceful candlelight vigil kills 24, wounds 47

At least 24 people were killed and 47 others injured when Myanmar’s military dropped two bombs from a motorised paraglider on protesters, a spokesperson for the government-in-exile told BBC Burmese.

The attack occurred on the evening of October 6 in Chaung U township, central Myanmar, where around 100 people had gathered to mark a national holiday.

Since the army seized power in 2021, thousands have died and millions have been displaced, triggering a civil war involving armed resistance groups and ethnic militias. After losing control of much of the country, the military has recently regained ground through a campaign marked by heavy bombardment and airstrikes.

Chaung U township lies in the Sagaing region, a major battleground in the conflict. Large areas of Sagaing are controlled by volunteer militias, known as the People’s Defence Force (PDF), which were formed after the coup to resist the military and also manage local administration.

A local PDF official told BBC Burmese that they had prior warning of a possible airborne attack during Monday’s gathering. They attempted to disperse the protest quickly, but the paramotors arrived sooner than expected. The official said the attack lasted only seven minutes, injuring his leg while killing others nearby.

Locals reported that the scene was horrific, with bodies difficult to identify. “Children were completely torn apart,” a woman who helped organise the event said, adding that body parts were still being collected.

In a statement on October 7, Amnesty International condemned the junta’s use of motorised paragliders to attack communities, calling it part of a “disturbing trend.” BBC Burmese has reported that the military increasingly relies on paramotors due to a shortage of aircraft and helicopters, while advanced drones and military technology supplied by China and Russia have strengthened the junta’s battlefield capabilities.

Joe Freeman, Amnesty International’s Myanmar researcher, said the attack “should serve as a gruesome wake-up call that civilians in Myanmar need urgent protection” and called on the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which will convene later this month, to “increase pressure on the junta and revise an approach that has failed the Myanmar people for almost five years.”

Monday’s candlelight vigil was a peaceful protest against the junta’s military conscription and in support of the release of political prisoners, including Aung San Suu Kyi, the country’s deposed leader. Myanmar is scheduled to hold general elections in December, the first since the 2021 coup, but critics argue the vote will not be free or fair, allowing the military to maintain unchecked power.

By Tamilla Hasanova