The Military Junta in power in Myanmar (formerly Burma), launched an air strike on Tuesday morning in a town in the center of the country, causing at least 50 deaths and dozens of injuries.
The attack was aimed at an inauguration ceremony for an administrative office linked to the Government of National Unity, which claims to be the legitimate authority of the country after the 2021 coup, in the town of Pazigyi, in the Sagaing region, one of the main bastions of resistance against the Myanmar army.
A witness told the Associated Press that a fighter jet dropped bombs directly on the crowd and that military personnel fired at people from a helicopter.
The spokesman for the Military Junta confirms the attack and admits that among the victims there are civilians, but blames the opponents. “We have heard that more people have died due to the large explosions of weapons and ammunition displayed at the event,” Zaw Min Tu was quoted as saying by AFP.
Rescue teams say children are among the dead and the final death toll must exceed 100.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, expressed his “horror” at what happened and called for those responsible to be brought to justice.
United Nations Secretary General António Guterres also condemned the attack and reiterated his call “on the military to put an end to this campaign of violence against the people of Myanmar.”
According to the UN Rapporteur for Myanmar, Thomas Andrews, more than 3,000 civilians have been killed and 1.3 million people have been forced to flee their homes due to armed violence in the country.
According to the UN, the Military Junta has 16,000 political prisoners.
Source: TSF
