11 Killed in Myanmar Airstrike on Teashop: Ethnic Group

Eleven people were killed when a military airstrike targeted a teashop in the town of Naungcho, in Myanmar's northern Shan state, on Tuesday afternoon. The attack occurred shortly before 3 pm (0830 GMT), as people were gathered at the shop. A spokesperson for the local ethnic armed group, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), confirmed the casualties, identifying the victims as civilians who had come to the shop to drink tea.

"These were innocent civilians sitting at the teashop," said Lway Yay Oo, the TNLA spokesperson. "The airstrike hit them without warning."

At least four other civilians were injured and are receiving treatment at a nearby hospital, the spokesperson added. Local media sources also reported the deaths, confirming that many were injured in the attack on Lansan Tea Shop, which was hit by a military jet.

This attack comes amid escalating violence as Myanmar's military junta faces increasing opposition from ethnic armed groups and pro-democracy forces. These groups have intensified their resistance to the military's 2021 coup, accusing the junta of widespread human rights abuses, including air and artillery strikes on civilian areas.

The airstrike also violates a ceasefire brokered by China earlier this year, intended to ease tensions between the military and the "Three Brotherhood Alliance" of ethnic armed groups, which includes the TNLA. The truce, signed in January, was meant to halt fighting in the northern Shan region, where the military has been losing territory to opposition forces. The ceasefire followed months of heavy clashes that displaced over half a million people along Myanmar's border with China.

The attack comes just days after Myanmar's military leader, General Min Aung Hlaing, met with China's Premier Li Qiang in Kunming, where he reiterated the junta's willingness to engage in peace talks with armed groups. Despite this, violence continues to flare in Myanmar, with ethnic militias and other opposition forces gaining ground and taking control of key areas, including lucrative border trade routes.

China, which has been a primary supporter of the Myanmar military, has grown increasingly concerned about the instability along its border. The recent loss of territory in Shan state to rebel groups and the growing influence of the "People's Defence Forces"—formed to challenge the junta—has sparked rare criticism of Myanmar's military leadership. Despite China's backing, the ongoing conflict is straining Beijing's relationship with the junta, as it seeks to stabilize the region amid worsening conditions.