At least 24 civilians have been killed and 47 others injured after Myanmar’s military carried out an aerial assault on a peaceful gathering in the Sagaing region, using motorised paragliders to drop bombs on the crowd.
The attack occurred on Monday evening in Chaung U township, central Myanmar, where around 100 people had gathered to mark a national holiday and protest against the junta’s rule. A spokesperson for the government-in-exile described the strike as one of the deadliest attacks in recent months.
Eyewitnesses said the assault lasted less than seven minutes, leaving a scene of devastation. “Children were completely torn apart,” said one woman who helped organise the event, adding that rescuers were still recovering body parts the next day. Members of the local People’s Defence Force (PDF) confirmed they had received intelligence of a possible airborne strike but were unable to evacuate the crowd in time.
Sagaing has been a major resistance stronghold since the 2021 military coup, largely controlled by the PDF and ethnic militias. However, the army has recently intensified its campaign with airstrikes and heavy shelling, reclaiming territory through brutal force.
Amnesty International condemned the latest assault as part of a “disturbing trend” of attacks on civilians. The organisation noted the junta’s increasing use of motorised paragliders to compensate for aircraft shortages due to international sanctions. “This should serve as a gruesome wake-up call that civilians in Myanmar need urgent protection,” said Joe Freeman, Amnesty’s Myanmar researcher.
Analysts say the junta’s access to advanced drones and weaponry from China and Russia has strengthened its military capabilities despite global restrictions.
Monday’s gathering had included a candlelight vigil calling for an end to military conscription, the release of democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and the rejection of the junta’s planned December general elections, which critics have dismissed as neither free nor fair.
The vote, expected to be the first since the 2021 coup, will reportedly take place only in military-controlled territories, with opposition parties banned.
Amnesty and other human rights organisations have urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to increase pressure on Myanmar’s military rulers, saying the bloc’s “failed diplomatic approach” has “betrayed the Myanmar people.”
