At least 24 people were killed and 47 others injured after Myanmar’s military launched an air attack on protesters in Chaung U township, central Myanmar, on Monday evening.
According to a spokesperson for the government-in-exile, the assault occurred when a motorised paraglider dropped two bombs on a crowd of about 100 people gathered to mark a national holiday.
Local officials from the People’s Defence Force (PDF) said they had received intelligence about a possible airborne attack and tried to disperse the protesters, but the aircraft arrived earlier than expected.
Witnesses described the aftermath as horrific, with several bodies mutilated beyond recognition.
Rights group Amnesty International condemned the use of motorised paragliders as part of a disturbing trend by the junta, which has increasingly resorted to unconventional airstrikes amid equipment shortages.
The group’s Myanmar researcher, Joe Freeman, urged Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to intensify pressure on the junta, warning that civilians face escalating danger.