In Sagaing Region’s Pale and Myaung townships, military airstrikes and artillery attacks on villages have resulted in civilian casualties and property damage. On September 4, around 1 PM, an FCT 2000 G fighter jet from the military’s Tataoo Air Base conducted an airstrike on Tanay village in Pale Township, dropping a 500-pound bomb. The attack resulted in the destruction of one house by fire, killing two civilians – a man and a woman who owned the house – and four cattle. Local residents reported that there were no active conflicts in the area when the military conducted the targeted airstrike on civilian homes.
According to local sources, the military deliberately targeted civilian residential areas despite the absence of any military engagement in the region. Additionally, around 2 PM, the military council forces stationed in Salay town fired two howitzer shells at Nabat village in Myaung Township. The artillery shells landed and exploded near a Christian church in Nabat village, resulting in non-life-threatening injuries to four villagers from shell fragments. Local residents confirmed that the artillery attack was unprovoked and targeted civilian areas.
These military air and artillery attacks constitute violations of international law and amount to war crimes against civilians. Particularly, the deliberate targeting of civilian homes in areas with no active conflict violates humanitarian standards and principles, as noted by human rights observers. The ongoing attacks in the Sagaing Region continue to result in loss of civilian lives, homes, and property, demonstrating the military’s disregard for civilian safety and international humanitarian law. These incidents represent a pattern of systematic attacks on civilian populations in the region, causing significant humanitarian concerns and displacement of local communities.
