Vehicle Serving Chinese Gas Pipeline Facility Damaged by Junta Airstrike

Maung Sar Ga

Narinjara, October 13, 2026

A vehicle carrying a Chinese national employed at a gas pipeline facility in Ann Township was hit by military junta aerial bombing and machine-gun fire.

The attack occurred on the Ann-Padan road, near the border between Ann Township in Arakan State and Padan in the Magway Region.

A source told Narinjara that the vehicle was transporting Chen Jie, a Chinese national, alongside two Myanmar workers employed at the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC) natural gas pipeline facility. A junta jet fighter attacked the vehicle during a work-related trip shortly after 11:00 AM on October 11.

“This report is true. It happened on the morning of October 11. The vehicle was attacked with both bombs and machine-gun fire while in transit,” the source confirmed.

The passengers scattered in panic during the bombing, but sources report that everyone has since been located. While the occupants escaped unharmed, the vehicle sustained significant damage from bomb shrapnel.

The Arakan Army (AA) fully captured Ann Township, including the junta’s major Western Command, in December 2024. Following the takeover, the AA permitted CNPC’s natural gas pipeline facilities to operate freely. However, the military junta has now targeted the operation with this latest airstrike.

Intermediate stations for the Chinese natural gas pipeline are located more than 20 miles from Ann Town in the Yoma mountain range, specifically at the Taung Sauk and Sin Khon Tine sites. These facilities employ a mix of Chinese engineers, staff, and Myanmar workers.

China operates two major oil and gas pipeline projects originating in Kyaukphyu, Arakan State. These pipelines stretch to Yunnan Province through central Myanmar and northern Shan State, remaining operational despite intensified fighting between the Arakan Army and the junta regime.

Photo: A Chinese vehicle damaged during a junta airstrike. (Photo: ONN)