The Karen National Union (KNU) Central has reported that two civilians were killed when the military council conducted an airstrike on Thablu Khoh Kee village in Kawkareik Township, Karen State, despite there being no active fighting in the area. The attack occurred around 11:30 AM on March 19, when a Yak-130 fighter jet from the Naypyidaw-based air force deliberately bombed the village. The airstrike resulted in the immediate deaths of two men, aged 36 and 30, and completely destroyed one residential house and a warehouse.
The KNU Central further stated that the military council deliberately targets non-military objectives including religious buildings, hospitals, schools, and civilian residential areas. Such aerial attacks on innocent civilians constitute violations of international humanitarian law and can be classified as war crimes. Local residents are reportedly living in fear due to these ongoing attacks. The military council’s systematic targeting of civilian infrastructure and populations demonstrates a pattern of deliberate violence against non-combatants in the region.
