At least 24 people were killed and 47 wounded in central Myanmar after a motorised paraglider dropped two bombs on a crowd gathered in Chaung U township on Monday evening. The attack struck during a national holiday protest and candlelight vigil, as around 100 people had assembled to call for political reforms and freedom for jailed leaders.
The reported bombing is one of the deadliest uses of paramotor strikes by Myanmar’s military in recent months.
Protesters had gathered in Sagaing’s Chaung U township to observe the Thadingyut full-moon festival and simultaneously press demands for the release of political prisoners including Aung San Suu Kyi, an end to forced conscription, and postponement of the December elections. A local official from the People’s Defence Force (PDF) said they had been warned of a possible airborne attack and attempted to disperse the crowd beforehand. Yet “the paramotors reached the scene earlier than expected,” he told BBC, adding that the bombing unfolded in roughly seven minutes and that he himself was wounded in the leg.
Witnesses described harrowing scenes. A woman involved in planning the vigil told AFP via BBC that “children were completely torn apart,” and that in the aftermath rescuers were still “collecting body parts.” Local sources said many bodies were hard to identify.
In a statement released Tuesday, Amnesty International condemned the attack and warned that the use of motorised paragliders against civilians is part of a “disturbing trend.” Joe Freeman, Amnesty’s Myanmar researcher, called the incident “a gruesome wake-up call” that civilians in Myanmar require urgent protection. He urged the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) to intensify pressure on the junta and reassess policies that have failed the people for nearly five years.
Since seizing power in 2021, the Myanmar military has waged a brutal internal conflict against armed resistance groups, ethnic militias, and civilian opposition. Thousands have died and millions displaced in the ensuing war.
In recent months, the junta has supplemented its conventional air force with drones and motorised paragliders — in part to compensate for shortages of aircraft and limited access to jet fuel amid international sanctions. Some reports note that China has expanded political and technical support for the military government, including pressure on rebel supply routes along China’s border.
The Chuang U region sits within Sagaing, a longstanding battleground where volunteer militias administer local governance in areas the military does not control. Critics say the junta’s upcoming December elections — set to be the first since the coup — are unlikely to be free or inclusive: many opposition parties are barred or boycotting the vote, and voting may occur only in parts of the country under military control.
Africa Digital News, New York
