Myanmar Military Airstrike in Kachin Kills at Least 15, 10 Injured in Critical Condition
January 12, 2025 — A military airstrike by Myanmar's armed forces on a gold-mining market in Kachin state has killed at least 15 people and injured 10 others. A spokesperson from the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) confirmed the information. The attack occurred on Saturday morning at around 11:00 AM in a gold-mining area of Kachin.
KIA spokesperson Colonel Naw Bu stated, "All those killed were civilians, including gold miners and local shopkeepers." He further reported that 10 of the injured are in critical condition.
Since Myanmar's 2021 coup, the military has been targeting civilian areas as part of its efforts to suppress resistance. Violence erupted across the country after the military ousted the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The KIA, which has been fighting the military for decades over local resource control and autonomy in Kachin state, has blamed the military for this attack.
Meanwhile, another armed group in Myanmar, the Arakan Army, reported that the military dropped 15 bombs on a public market in Kyauktaw, Arakan state, on Saturday. It stated that some civilians were killed and others injured, though the exact number of casualties has not been specified.
The Arakan Army, which is the armed wing of the Rakhine ethnic minority movement, has been engaged in fierce battles with the military. The group has made significant territorial gains in Rakhine, taking control of large areas. Their offensive, which began in November 2023, has now led them to control 14 out of 17 townships in Rakhine, leaving only Sittwe and two key townships under military control.
