Myanmar Airstrike Kills 28 Detained Family Members of Soldiers

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Above: A building that was destroyed in a bombardment carried out by Myanmar's military is seen in Lashio in Myanmar's northern Shan State on Sept. 24, 2024. Image copyright: STR/Contributor/AFP via Getty Images

The Facts

  • A Myanmar military airstrike on Saturday killed 28 people and wounded 25 others at a temporary detention facility in Mrauk-U Township, Rakhine state, where the Arakan Army was holding family members of junta soldiers.

  • Among the casualties were reportedly nine children, including a two-year-old boy, with the remaining victims being women.

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The Spin

Narrative A

The military junta's airstrikes deliberately targeted civilian areas — including schools, hospitals, markets, and detention facilities — constituting war crimes and showing complete disregard for civilian casualties, even when the victims were families of their own soldiers.

Irrawaddy

Narrative B

This deadly incident in fact reflects the military's struggle to maintain control across multiple fronts, with unclear targeting procedures that may have resulted in unintentional strikes on areas where their own soldiers' families were being held. The fog of war may be to blame for this tragedy.

The Straits Times

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