On the evening of April 6, 2024, the military council forces conducted an aerial bombing attack on two villages, Kukkoku and Okkyin, in Budalin Township, Sagaing Region. According to a responsible official from the Budalin Daung Yazarpin Strike Committee, the attack resulted in the immediate death of U Aung Zaw Min from Okkyin village and left two other civilians injured. The military council forces carried out this attack using helicopter gunships, dropping two bombs on the villages despite there being no ongoing battles in the area.
The military council had previously announced a nationwide ceasefire from April 2 to April 22. However, they continue to conduct aerial attacks across the country, contradicting their own announcement. The current extent of damage to residential buildings in the affected villages remains unconfirmed. Local sources indicate that these attacks are part of the military council’s strategy to suppress People’s Defense Force activities in the region by targeting civilian settlements.
This deliberate targeting of civilian areas represents a violation of international humanitarian law and constitutes a war crime. The military council’s continued use of airstrikes against civilian populations demonstrates their disregard for civilian lives and international conventions. The attack occurred without any military engagement or provocation, highlighting the indiscriminate nature of the military council’s operations against its own citizens. Such actions further exemplify the ongoing pattern of violence against civilians that has characterized the military council’s approach to maintaining control over the country.
