The armed forces of Myanmar's ruling junta carried out an airstrike on a festival and demonstration, resulting in the deaths of more than 40 people, including children, a participant in the event and a member of the local organizing committee reported on Tuesday, according to LETA citing AFP.
Since Myanmar's army seized power in a coup in 2021, the country has been engulfed in a civil war, with pro-democracy supporters joining armed insurgents from ethnic minorities in their fight against the junta.
Hundreds of people gathered in the central town of ChaungU on Monday evening for a full moon festival and a protest against the junta when the army dropped bombs on the crowd, a member of the event's organizing committee, who wished to remain anonymous, said.
The bombs dropped by the army killed more than 40 people and injured around 80.
"The committee warned people, and a third of those gathered managed to flee," she said. "But one motorized paraglider flew directly over the crowd, dropping two bombs in the center of the gathering."
"Children were literally torn apart," she said, noting that she was not at the scene but attended the funerals of the victims on Tuesday. When another motorized paraglider flew away, people rushed to help the wounded.
"This morning we were still collecting body parts," the committee representative added.
Leave a comment