Myanmar’s military airstrikes targeted a hospital in Laukkai, a city controlled by an ethnic minority armed group near the China border, killing 10 people, local media reported on Friday. The strikes were part of ongoing conflict in northern Shan State, where fighting has intensified since late June.
Details of the Airstrikes
The military carried out at least two airstrikes late Thursday night in Laukkai, which is normally home to around 25,000 people. Local media cited a resident who confirmed the death of 10 civilians. The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA), which has held Laukkai since January, reported the attack but did not provide casualty details.
Renewed Offensive and Major Defeat
The MNDAA, part of an alliance of ethnic minority armed groups, renewed their offensive against the military along a major trade highway to China. The alliance’s control of Laukkai followed the surrender of more than 2,000 junta troops, marking one of the military’s biggest defeats in decades.
Ongoing Conflict and Casualties
In recent weeks, the junta has repeatedly bombed Laukkai in response to the MNDAA’s offensive, breaking a Beijing-brokered ceasefire. Fighting has spread to Lashio, home to the military’s northeastern command, where MNDAA fighters reportedly entered a military hospital, killing patients and medical staff. The ongoing conflict in Shan State has resulted in dozens of civilian casualties, with neither side releasing figures on their own losses.
China, a significant ally and arms supplier to the junta, also maintains ties with ethnic armed groups near its border. The complex dynamics in Myanmar’s borderlands continue to fuel violence and instability in the region.