The People’s Defense Force (PDF) of Sadaung Gyi Township has confirmed that 13 civilians, including two children aged three years and two years old, were killed when military council forces conducted an airstrike on a gas station in Yay Htwet village, Mandalay Region. The incident occurred around 1:10 PM on April 19, 2024, when military jets dropped two bombs on the target.
The attack resulted in a fire and explosion at the gas station, causing the deaths of 13 civilians and injuring at least 20 others. According to Nagar Ni, a spokesperson for the local PDF, some of the injured are in critical condition, and the death toll could rise further. Rescue operations are ongoing, and medical treatment is being provided to the wounded. The two young children who lost their lives in this attack represent some of the youngest victims of the military’s ongoing campaign of violence against civilian populations.
Local residents have pointed out that such airstrikes on civilian areas constitute violations of international humanitarian law, and the killing of innocent civilians, especially children, amounts to war crimes. The military council’s offensive operations have caused widespread fear among local residents, and security conditions in the area are expected to deteriorate further. The attack on the gas station is part of a pattern of military actions that have increasingly targeted civilian infrastructure and populations, leading to significant casualties among non-combatants and forcing many to flee their homes for safety.
