Myanmar junta kills 57 civilians Since January 1

The Irrawaddy has recorded that 57 civilians, including 18 children, were killed and 119 wounded by Myanmar’s junta in the first week of 2024, The Irrawaddy reports.

Airstrikes and shelling targeting schools, hospitals and playgrounds have stepped up since Operation 1027 was launched in northern Shan State on October 27.

The junta has lost control of 16 towns in northern Shan State and 14 in Kachin, Karenni and Chin states and Sagaing Region since late October.

Sagaing Region has reported the most deaths. Thirty-two civilians were killed and 50 injured in Sagaing Region by junta airstrikes. In Khampat town an airstrike killed 17 people, including nine children, in the worst single attack since October. Six civilians were killed by junta shelling on Kawlin town’s market on January 2. Both towns were seized by resistance forces in November.

Lieutenant General Min Naing, secretary of the junta’s National Solidarity and Peace Negotiation Committee, during Chinese-brokered talks with the Brotherhood Alliance in Kunming on December 23 threatened to carry out continuous bombing raids on rebel-held towns.

Rakhine State has reported the second-most deaths with eight civilians killed and 37 wounded by regime shelling, airstrikes and drone attacks.

Two villagers in Mrauk-U and Pauktaw townships were severely wounded by regime landmines.

A Mrauk-U resident said junta troops stationed at government offices and religious buildings are purposefully attacking civilians.

“The military always says it will protect the public but its soldiers are attacking us,” a Mrauk-U resident told The Irrawaddy.

Nine civilians were killed while eight wounded by junta airstrikes on Namhsan and Lashio townships in northern Shan State on January 7. Namhsan Township is controlled by the Ta’ang National Liberation Army and fighting continues in Lashio Township.

A representative of Ta’ang Women’s Organization told The Irrawaddy that the international community should be doing more to stop the junta targeting civilians.

Eight civilians, including three children, were killed by junta shelling in Shwegyin and Phyu townships, Bago Region, in territory held by the Karen National Union.

Radi Ohm of a civilian National Unity Government (NUG) mobile medical support team that works in Sagaing Region and Chin State said the junta’s use of airstrikes points to the weakening of its ground forces.

“We have suffered a lot. Can anyone help us?” she asked, in reference to the international community.

Around 583 junta airstrikes on civilian targets, resulting in 897 fatalities and 958 injuries and the destruction of 76 religious buildings and 52 schools, have been reported by the NUG since the 2021 coup.