Myanmar rebel fighter says military airstrike kills 11 civilians

A military airstrike in central Myanmar killed 11 civilians, according to a rebel fighter. The attack occurred in Yesagyo township, southwest of Mandalay city, on Friday afternoon. The PDF rebel group controlled the area at the time. Among the 11 victims were six women, two children, and a one-year-old who could barely walk. The military refused to comment on the incident.

A local witness reported that three houses were completely destroyed by the explosion. These homes were along the roadside where the bomb struck. The one-year-old victim was an 11-year-old student who had been riding a bicycle when the attack took place. Over 100,000 people have died in Myanmar since the civil war began following a 2021 military coup that ousted the elected government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

The PDF rebel group emerged around that time, along with other ethnic minority armies resisting central rule. However, PDF forces are currently struggling against the military, particularly near Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city.