Myanmar Military Renews Airstrikes on Flooded Gwa Township

Narinjara, 16 July 2026

The Myanmar military launched fresh airstrikes on the flood-stricken Gwa Township in Rakhine State on July 15, marking the latest in a series of severe aerial attacks on the region.

According to local sources, a military jet fighter targeted the township twice on Wednesday at 2:23 p.m. and 2:26 p.m., dropping bombs near former military barracks.

These latest strikes occur amidst a severe humanitarian crisis.

Since July 12, torrential rains have caused heavy flooding across at least 20 villages in Gwa Township. Local residents have strongly condemned the military, labeling the aerial bombardments during an active natural disaster as inhumane.

The July 15 attacks follow several consecutive days of heavy bombardment in the area.

On July 14, the military dropped four bombs on Gwa Township during the evening, injuring 39-year-old Kin Yon Ward resident U Kyaw Thu and damaging multiple homes.

The previous night, around 10:00 p.m. on July 13, a military jet fighter and a Y-12 transport aircraft launched a massive assault, dropping over 50 bombs across the township.

This followed an earlier attack on July 10, when airstrikes targeted Kalachaung Village and the Pauk Tu Village School within the Dhani group. That strike killed four civilians, seriously injured another, and destroyed both the school and seven residential homes.

Military analysts and local reports indicate that the junta is intentionally intensifying its campaign against civilian areas in Gwa Township.

The surge in airstrikes appears to be a tactical response to military setbacks at the border of the Ayeyarwady and Rakhine regions, where junta forces are retreating under heavy pressure from the Arakan Army (AA).