Airstrike in Central Myanmar Leaves 18 Civilians Dead

Eighteen people were killed and 20 others injured after an airstrike hit a town in central Myanmar, according to a local official, a rescue worker and several residents who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Myanmar has been engulfed in conflict since the 2021 military coup, with clashes between the military and anti-coup groups frequently resulting in air attacks that harm civilians.

Witnesses said two bombs were dropped on Tabayin township in Sagaing region on Friday evening. One of them struck a crowded teashop, causing the highest number of casualties.

“Deaths were high at the teashop as it was a busy time,” a local administrator said.

A rescue worker who reached the area shortly after the strike reported that seven people died instantly, while eleven others succumbed to their injuries at a nearby hospital. The teashop and around a dozen nearby houses were completely destroyed.

One survivor recalled watching a boxing match inside the teashop when he heard an aircraft overhead. “I dropped to the ground as soon as I heard it,” he said, describing the deafening blast and the flames that followed. “I was lucky—I managed to get home.”

Funerals were held the following day. A resident said some victims could not be visually identified due to the severity of their injuries. “I feel very sad because I knew some of them well,” she said.

Sagaing region has faced repeated air attacks, including one in May that killed more than 20 people, many of them children, despite a declared ceasefire following a major earthquake.