Junta Airstrike Slaughters Dozens in Myanmar’s Kayah State

In the run‑up to Myanmar’s planned elections, the military has unleashed fresh bloodshed in Kayah (Karenni) State. An airstrike on the mining district of Mawchi killed at least 36 civilians  among them women, children, and elderly residents  and injured five more. Several victims remain unidentified due to the severity of the blast.

Mawchi has been under resistance control since late 2023, when the Karenni Army and allied forces seized the area and established an interim state administration. Local leaders say the strike deliberately targeted a civilian neighbourhood, flattening homes and damaging a nearby hospital and primary school.

The attack is part of a broader escalation as the junta attempts to regain territory from anti‑coup groups ahead of nationwide polls. Since the military seized power in 2021, large parts of the country have fallen outside its control, and airstrikes on resistance‑held towns have become a regular and deadly tactic.