Myanmar Airstrikes Trigger Mass Displacement in Magway’s Myit Chay
Continuous Myanmar military airstrikes on Myit Chay town in Magway Region’s Pakokku Township have forced about 4,000 residents to flee, creating an urgent humanitarian crisis, according to local aid workers.
Despite the absence of active ground fighting in Myit Chay, the military regime has deployed gyrocopters and helicopters to bombardment civilian areas since September 13, an official from the local relief organization Anya Taw Ein told Mizzima on September 23.
"There is no active fighting. We believe they are doing this simply because committing inhumane acts has become their norm," the Anya Taw Ein official said. "The other night, around 1:30 AM while people were sleeping, they dropped bombs directly into residential neighborhoods."
Most recently, airstrikes destroyed at least four homes in the town. On September 17 and 18, air raids killed four civilians and left another severely injured, according to a statement by the aid group.
Targeted strikes on urban wards have triggered panic and immediate evacuations.
"They attacked residential wards around 6:00 PM. Because of the sudden strike, people had to flee instantly," the official added. "By 8:00 or 9:00 PM, the streets were completely congested with fleeing residents."
Simultaneously, junta troops have launched ground offensives in Pakokku’s oil field zones, sparking clashes with local resistance forces. The fighting has displaced an additional 2,500 to 3,000 villagers across five communities, according to the Pakokku Township Humanitarian and Disaster Management Department.
Relief workers warn that thousands of displaced civilians are now in desperate need of emergency food rations and basic supplies.
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