Myanmar military launches airstrike on rebel gathering, at least 100 killed

Airstrikes by Myanmar's military on Tuesday killed as many as 100 people, including many children, who were attending a ceremony held by opponents of army rule, said a witness, a member of a local pro-democracy group and independent media.

The military is increasingly using airstrikes to counter a armed struggle against its rule, which began in February 2021 when it seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.
 

More than 3,000 civilians are estimated to have been killed since then by security forces.
 

A witness told The Associated Press that a fighter jet dropped bombs directly into a crowd of people who were gathering at 8 am for the opening of a local office of the country's opposition movement outside Pazigyi village in Sagaing region's Kanbalu township.
 

The area is about 110 kilometres (70 miles) north of Mandalay, the country's second largest city.
 

About half an hour later, a helicopter appeared and fired at the site, said the witness, who asked not to be identified because he feared punishment by the authorities.
 

Initial reports put the death toll at around 50, but later tallies reported by independent media raised it to about 100. 
 

It was impossible to independently confirm details of the incident because reporting is restricted by the military government.
 

There were no immediate reports about the attack in state-controlled media. In past cases, the military government has said it does not use disproportionate force.