Myanmar opposition carries out drone attack on capital
Opponents of Myanmar’s military said they had carried out drone attacks against junta sites in the capital, Naypyidaw, in what appears to be a rare incursion against the embattled junta’s centre of power.
The National Unity Government (NUG), which was formed to oppose the 2021 coup, said it had launched drone attacks on two military targets in the capital.
“The synchronised drone operations were simultaneously executed against Naypyidaw, targeting both the headquarters of the terrorist military and Alar airbase,” the NUG said in a statement.
“Preliminary reports suggest there were casualties,” it added.
The military said it shot down seven drones and there were no reports of casualties. It is not possible to verify the details of the attack.
The military is fighting myriad opponents on multiple fronts across the country, and has faced humiliating battlefield losses over recent months, including losing ground in Rakhine state and along the border with India and China. Thousands of its soldiers have surrendered, describing rock-bottom morale, and pro-military figures have expressed dissatisfaction with the leadership.
The country was plunged into conflict after the 2021 coup, which was strongly opposed by the public. Many civilians took up arms and joined people’s defence forces to fight the military, and some of these groups have received support from older ethnic armed groups that have long fought for independence. Many defence forces are aligned with the NUG.
The resistance group that claimed responsibility for the drone attack, Kloud Team (Shar Htoo Waw), said it targeted the house of the junta chief, Min Aung Hlaing, as well as the military headquarters and airbase.
Kloud Team specialises in the use of drones, which have proven a cheap and effective weapon for anti-coup groups, which, unlike the military, do not have an air force.
The military has repeatedly been accused of using its air power to indiscriminately bomb civilians, including medical facilities, hospitals and schools. It has rejected this, saying it is targeting “terrorists”.
Naypyidaw, the centre of the military’s power, has been relatively calm compared with swathes of the country that are gripped by fighting. Last week, Min Aung Hlaing presided over a military parade there to mark Armed Forces Day, though the event was far less grand than in previous years, according to reports by Agence FrancePresse, with no tanks or missile launchers making the drive-by.
The military announced in February that it would impose a mandatory conscription law, under which men aged 18 to 35, or up to 45 in the case of professionals, would be conscripted. Women aged 18 to 27, or professionals up to 35, can also be conscripted under the law – though the military has said they will not be required to serve for now.
Commentators say the move reflects the devastating losses the military has recently faced, including the surrender ofentire battalions. The announcement has horrified young people and prompted large numbers to search for ways to flee the country or go to resistance-controlled areas.
According to the UN, as of the end of February 2024 more than 2.4 million people have become internally displaced in Myanmar since the coup and 59,300 people have fled to neighbouring countries.