Two Civilians Killed, Four Injured in Junta Airstrike and Shelling in Bawlakhe Township, Karenni State in Myanmar

A Myanmar military junta airstrike and subsequent artillery bombardment killed two men and severely injured four others—including a four-year-old child—in Bawlakhe Township, Karenni (Kayah) State, local residents report.

At approximately 3:00 PM on September 24, a junta aircraft carried out two bombing runs over the area. The first strike targeted the northern perimeter of the locality, damaging a home, while the second run struck the southern sector, damaging three additional residential structures.

The aerial attack killed a 63-year-old man and a 30-year-old man on impact. The younger victim's four-year-old son sustained severe injuries in the strike, alongside an adult female resident.

Following the air raid, junta forces launched heavy artillery shelling into the surrounding neighborhood. Shrapnel from exploding artillery rounds struck a 27-year-old woman in the thigh and a 32-year-old man in the face.

"They bombed in two runs between 3:00 and 3:30 PM," a local resident told Kantarawaddy Times. "Two men lost their lives, and the four-year-old son of the younger man was critically hurt. The community is in severe distress."

The attack underscores an escalating trend of aerial bombardments targeting civilian areas across Karenni State. Throughout September 2026 alone, junta air strikes across Bawlakhe, Shardaw (Hso Mo Pray Soe Lay), and Pasawng townships have killed at least 12 civilians, including multiple children.