Myanmar's ruling junta confirms air strike on Pazigyi village, several killed

Myanmar's ruling junta has confirmed that it carried out an air strike on a village in which dozens of people were reported killed, drawing condemnation from the United Nations and other nations.

The number of people killed in the early Tuesday morning attack on the isolated Kanbalu settlement in the central Sagaing area is unknown. The junta acknowledged the strike late Tuesday night, but did not indicate how many people were killed.

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According to various media reports, at approximately 8 a.m. on Tuesday, a fighter plane dropped bombs straight upon a throng of about 150 people. Women and children, as well as leaders of locally organised anti-government armed groups and other opposition organizations, were among those slain. It further stated that around 30 minutes after the initial attack, a helicopter came and shot at the spot.

The strike was also described as a "heinous act by the terrorist military" and "another example of their indiscriminate use of extreme force against innocent civilians, constituting a war crime" by the opposition National Unity Government. 

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"There was a (People's Defence Force) office opening ceremony... (Tuesday) morning around 8 a.m. at Pazi Gyi village," a military government spokesperson said. The People's Defence Force is the armed wing of the National Unity Government, which calls itself the country’s legitimate government, in opposition to the army. The spokesperson also blamed mines planted by the People's Defence Force for some of the deaths

The UN, although not confirming a death toll, said numerous people were killed, with Turk accusing Myanmar's military of violating "clear legal obligations... to protect civilians in the conduct of hostilities" once again.

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UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "strongly condemns the attack by the Myanmar Armed Forces today", according to a statement by his spokesman Stephane Dujarric. Guterres "reiterates his call for the military to end the campaign of violence against the Myanmar population throughout the country", the spokesman added.

The UN Human Rights Chief Volker Turk said he was "horrified" by the fatal air attack, which he alleged killed students performing dances, and called for those responsible to be held accountable.

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• Myanmar
• Pazigyi village
• air strike
• junta
• Antonio Guterres
• United Nations