Myanmar military airstrike on gem-mining town kills at least 21 civilians

An airstrike by Myanmar’s military on the town of Mogok, the country’s centre for the lucrative gem-mining industry, has killed at least 21 people, including a pregnant woman, according to an armed opposition group, local residents.

The attack, which occurred on August 14 at 8:30 p.m. in Shwegu ward of Mogok township—about 115 kilometres (70 miles) northeast of Mandalay, the nation’s second-largest city—represents the latest in a series of deadly military airstrikes targeting opposition-held areas, often resulting in civilian casualties, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

“About 21 civilians were killed. Seven others were injured. Homes and Buddhist monastery buildings were also damaged,” said Lway Yay Oo, spokesperson for the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), one of the key ethnic militias fighting the military near Myanmar’s border with China.

Mogok, known for its ruby mines in the upper Mandalay region, was seized in July 2024 by the TNLA, part of an alliance of ethnic militias that captured large areas of northeastern Myanmar in an offensive that began in late 2023.

A statement released by the TNLA on its Telegram channel on the night of August 15 said 16 women were among the victims, and the strike appeared to have targeted a Buddhist monastery in Shwegu ward. Fifteen houses were also damaged when a jet fighter dropped a bomb.

Two Mogok residents told the media that the death toll could be closer to 30, though it could not be independently verified. Speaking on condition of anonymity out of fear of military arrest, they said the toll was exacerbated because one of the bombed houses had been hosting guests of the pregnant woman.

The Myanmar military has previously claimed it targets only legitimate military objectives, accusing resistance forces of terrorism.

Since seizing power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, the military has faced widespread opposition. Peaceful protests were met with lethal force, leading many opponents to take up arms, plunging large parts of the country into conflict. The military has intensified airstrikes against the pro-democracy People’s Defence Force and longstanding ethnic militias, who have little to defend themselves against air attacks.

Opponents and analysts estimate that while the military controls less than half of the country, it maintains a firm hold on much of central Myanmar, including the capital Naypyidaw. Ahead of elections promised for the end of this year, the military has stepped up counter-offensives to reclaim territory held by opposition forces.

Critics say the elections are unlikely to be democratic, citing a lack of free media and the arrest of most leaders of Suu Kyi’s party. The vote is widely seen as an attempt to legitimise and perpetuate military rule. Several opposition groups have pledged to attempt to disrupt the election.

By Tamilla Hasanova