A junta airstrike on an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in the western region of Pekon Township, Shan State killed at least eight people, six of whom were children and several remain missing.

The airstrike hit at 9:09 pm on 5 September.

The dead are six children and two women over 40 years old. Many were injured, several people are missing and more than 20 shelters housing IDPs were destroyed, according to initial reports.

Describing the airstrike an IDP said: “At night, when we heard the aircraft approaching, we turned off all the lights in the IDP camp. It passed without incident, and we turned the lights back on. But then the aircraft returned and dropped a 500-pound bomb. Many houses were burned, and eight bodies have been found, so far, with more people still missing. The huts in the camp are densely packed, so the casualties were higher.”

The junta had already previously launched seven airstrikes on the IDP camp and the surrounding areas, but this most recent attack caused the highest number of casualties and the greatest amount of damage. The camp houses many elderly people and school-aged children.

Aid workers helping the IDPs said there was no fighting in the area at the time of the airstrike and it had intentionally targeted the IDP camp.