Myanmar military launches airstrike in Sagaing region amid clashes

Naypyitaw [Myanmar] September 28 (ANI): Myanmar military launched an airstrike on several villages of the Sagaing region after heavy clashes broke out between junta forces and civilians.
Thousands of civilians have been displaced due to the airstrikes while several government troops were killed. The intense fighting broke out between junta forces and the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) armed ethnic organization (AEO) in Pinlebu township, Radio Free Asia reported.
Meanwhile, the junta has also ordered thousands of people to depart the area, which lies some 180 kilometres (110 miles) east of Pinlebu, a resident of Katha township informed.
“In Pinlebu, people were ordered to evacuate to a certain site and the army said they would not take responsibility for those who did not do so, there must be about 3,000 people involved,” the resident said.
The military has also cut down the internet and telephone lines and in Pinlebu, Kawlin and Wuntho townships after the strikes.
Myanmar’s military has attempted to justify its overthrow of the democratically elected National League for Democracy (NLD) government by claiming the party had stolen the country’s November 2020 ballot through voter fraud, Radio Free Asia reported.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the coup on February 1, when the Myanmar military led by Senior General Ming Aung Hlaing overthrew the civilian government and declared a year-long state of emergency. The coup triggered mass protests and was met by deadly violence.
Meanwhile, the country is also facing a humanitarian crisis with about 3 million people requiring assistance, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said in a statement. (ANI)