Myanmar opposition attacks capital

BANGKOK — Myanmar’s main resistance group said Thursday that its armed wing launched drone attacks on the airport and a military headquarters in the capital, Naypyitaw, but the country’s ruling military said it had destroyed or seized more than a dozen drones used in the attacks.

The opposition National Unity Government’s “Defense Ministry” said in a statement that special units of the People’s Defense Force used drones to attack the targets simultaneously. The group, known by the acronym NUG, calls itself the country’s legitimate government, while the People’s Defense Force is made up of many local resistance groups with a good deal of independence.

Although there was no immediate evidence of any damage caused by the attack, the military’s acknowledgement that it had taken place in one of the most heavily guarded locations in the country will be seen by many as the latest indication that it is losing the initiative to its determined opponents.

The NUG said there were reports of casualties, while the military said there weren’t any.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, triggering nationwide protests that were suppressed with deadly force by the security forces, leading to the current civil war.