The military council conducted airstrikes on the headquarters area of the Pa-O National Liberation Army (PNLA) and Naung Htong village in Mawk Mae Township, Pa-O Self-Administered Zone, Southern Shan State, resulting in the destruction of two houses, according to PNLA Information and Communication Officer Khun Rain Yan. The attack occurred around 3 PM on July 26, when two military council fighter jets dropped four 500-pound bombs on the area despite there being no ongoing fighting in the region.
While the airstrikes destroyed two civilian homes, fortunately, there were no reported casualties or injuries. Khun Rain Yan condemned the military council’s actions as deplorable and inhumane, stating that attacking unarmed civilians with aircraft demonstrates the military council’s perspective that anyone who refuses to submit to their authoritarian rule is considered an enemy. He emphasized that this attack was unprovoked and targeted civilian areas where there wasn’t even ‘a single needle of weaponry.’
According to documentation from the PNLA Information and Communication Department, the military council has previously conducted at least three separate aerial bombardments on the PNLO headquarters area and surrounding villages, resulting in the destruction of civilian homes and public health clinics. Human rights observers note that such aerial attacks by the military council constitute violations of international humanitarian law and amount to war crimes against civilian populations. These continued attacks demonstrate the military council’s pattern of using disproportionate force against civilian targets and their disregard for the safety and well-being of local communities in their areas of operation.
