Myanmar rebel fighter says military airstrike kills 11 civilians

Myanmar has been consumed by a civil war since a 2021 military coup ousted the elected government of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi. (EPA Images pic) YANGON: A military airstrike on a village in central Myanmar killed 11 people, a rebel fighter said on Saturday.

Myanmar has been consumed by a civil war since a 2021 military coup ousted the elected government of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

The attack took place in territory controlled by the People's Defence Forces (PDF) rebel group in Yesagyo township, southwest of Mandalay city, at around 2.00pm (0730 GMT) on Friday, Bo Paw, a PDF member, said.

The attack killed 11 people, including six women and two children, among them a one-year-old who "could just walk a little bit", Bo Paw said.

The military could not be reached for comment.

A witness, who did not give his name for security reasons, described the aftermath of the attack.

"I saw three houses which were totally destroyed," he said. "These houses were at the roadside where the bomb hit."

"They all were killed on the spot, including an 11-year-old student who was riding a bicycle," he said.

More than 100,000 people have been killed in Myanmar since the start of the civil war, according to conflict monitor ACLED.

The PDF rose up around that time, alongside ethnic minority armies that have long resisted central rule.

However, after making significant gains against the military, the PDF forces find themselves on the back foot around Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city.