An ambulance was attacked on the Leiktho–Taungoo Highway in Thandaunggyi Township, Karen State, killing a relief worker and injuring four others.
According to the local rescue community, at around 8:00 p.m. on May 19, the vehicle traveling from Taungoo City in Bago Region struck a booby trap near Monkone Village and subsequently came under gunfire.
As a result of the attack, a young man riding in the ambulance’s rear compartment was killed at the scene, while four others—two women and two men—were injured.
“After hearing a thud believed to be an explosion, a series of gunshots followed. The vehicle’s body was riddled with bullet holes. Those in the front seats sustained minor injuries. The man in the rear compartment was killed, while two women were injured. One of the injured is in critical condition,” said a source who requested anonymity for security reasons.
The ambulance, which belonged to a local charity group, was transporting a patient and five other passengers, though the patient was not injured. The deceased was a 31-year-old man from Thandaung Town.
Taungoo-based charity relief workers said they had informed the junta authorities in advance about the ambulance’s planned journey.
Witnesses reported seeing a junta convoy traveling along the Leiktho–Taungoo Highway around the time of the attack.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack on the ambulance. The Karen Information Center (KIC) is still investigating who was behind the incident.
“Our rescue and relief teams need to be more careful when transporting patients at night. The deceased was a kind and helpful man. We’ve lost a good young man,” a philanthropic worker from Taungoo told KIC.
Thandaunggyi is located in Taungoo (Tawoo) District, according to the district system designated by the Karen National Union (KNU). Since the coup, the area has seen frequent clashes between junta forces and resistance groups, and stability has remained fragile.
Locals reported previous incidents of resistance forces detonating roadside mines and ambushing junta convoys traveling along the highway.
Similarly, junta convoys have also been reported to carry out arbitrary shootings targeting villages and civilians along their routes.
Following the deadly attack on the ambulance on May 19, humanitarian organizations said they are increasingly concerned about the safety of delivering aid to local communities and displaced people.
