The Myanmar military junta carried out two separate airstrikes in Kalewa Township, Sagaing Region, within the span of a week, killing five civilians and injuring several others, according to the Kalewa People’s Defence Force (PDF).

The air raids targeted the villages of Kywenan, Sinkhaung, Gazat, and Ma Sein on 24 and 29 April. A junta-operated Y-12 aircraft dropped approximately 14 bombs on Kywenan, Sinkhaung, and Gazat on the afternoon of 29 April, resistance forces said.

“Not all the bombs fell inside the villages, some landed on open fields and into water. There were no clashes or resistance activity at the time. It was a deliberate and unprovoked assault,” a Kalay District PDF official said.

The bombing on 29 April killed a 58-year-old man in Kywenan and injured two women in their 30s. In Gazat, a 54-year-old displaced woman was killed, another woman was injured, and three civilian homes were destroyed.

Earlier in the week, on 24 April, three civilians working at a gold-smelting site in Ma Sein village were killed instantly during an airstrike. Junta forces were already present in the village at the time, and no fighting was reported in the area.

Local sources suspect the 24 April strike may have stemmed from internal disputes within the military, such as the alleged misappropriation or withholding of funds intended for senior officers.

“The junta sees civilians as enemies and continues to use airpower indiscriminately. For the resistance to protect the people and challenge this dominance, enhancing air defence capabilities has become essential,” said the PDF official.

The attacks came in the wake of a recent earthquake in Sagaing Region.

Resistance-linked sources reported that the junta has since escalated aerial bombardments across the country.

On 26 and 27 April, multiple villages in southern Kalay including Natchaung, Natmyaung, Aung Chan Thar, Thanpho, and Ngapha were reportedly bombed without provocation, leaving four more civilians dead.