The Karen National Union (KNU) Central has reported that two civilians were killed when the military council conducted an unprovoked airstrike on Thablu Khoh Kee village in Kawkareik Township, Karen State. 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 without any ongoing fighting in the area.
The airstrike resulted in the immediate deaths of two male civilians – one aged 36 and another aged 30 – who were residents of Thablu Khoh Kee village. The attack also completely destroyed one residential house and a storage facility. The KNU Central emphasized that the military council forces are deliberately targeting non-military objectives, including civilian buildings, religious structures, hospitals, schools, and areas where civilians reside.
These airstrikes against civilian populations constitute violations of international humanitarian law and could be classified as war crimes, according to local residents and civil society organizations. They strongly condemn these systematic attacks by military council forces against innocent civilians. The military council’s deliberate targeting of non-military facilities and civilian populations represents a continuing pattern of violence against Myanmar’s civilian population, with the military council showing complete disregard for civilian lives and international humanitarian principles.
