Kachin, Jan 13, (V7N) - At least 15 civilians were killed and 10 others injured in an airstrike by Myanmar's junta forces in Kachin State's Tanai town. The attack occurred at a local market on Saturday morning, January 11, according to AFP.
 
The Kachin Independence Army (KIA), an armed ethnic rebel group, confirmed the incident on Sunday. KIA spokesperson Colonel Naw Bu told AFP, "The airstrike happened around 11 a.m. on Saturday. All the deceased were civilians, including gold mine workers and local shopkeepers."
 
A local resident, speaking anonymously, reported that three of the injured later succumbed to their injuries.
 
Images and videos from local media showed a massive crater at the site, with surrounding areas reduced to rubble due to the bombing.
 
The attacked region remains under KIA control. The group, consisting of around 7,000 members, has been engaged in a decades-long conflict with the military, seeking autonomy and control over Kachin's abundant mineral resources. The state is rich in gemstones and other minerals, much of which is exported to China.
 
Since Myanmar’s military coup in 2021, intense clashes have erupted across various states, including Kachin. The coup ousted the government of Aung San Suu Kyi, which had supported the formation of an armed resistance group, the People’s Defense Force (PDF), to fight the junta. The military accuses the KIA of supplying arms to the PDF.
 
Earlier, on January 9, a junta airstrike in Rakhine State killed at least 40 people and injured 52 others.
 
The United Nations recently reported that over 3.5 million people have been displaced by the ongoing conflict in Myanmar, a sharp rise of 1.5 million compared to last year. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warned that by 2025, more than one-third of Myanmar's population—approximately 19.9 million people—could require humanitarian assistance.
 
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