Open Sources Show Myanmar Junta Airstrike Damages Despite Post-Earthquake Ceasefire

Left: Location of the village on Google Earth. Right: Photos of Nawng Len after the attack | Source: The Irrawaddy (Burmese)/ Instagram

In an article by Bellingcat, Pooja Chaudhuri show evidence of several villages in Myanmar being damaged by airstrikes despite the temporary ceasefire declared by the military junta following the 7.7-magnitude earthquake.

The country, which has already been devastated by four years of civil war, continues to be hit with multiple aftershocks. The SAC, ruling Myanmar since seizing power from the democratically elected government in 2021, declared a temporary pause to fighting only after the main opposition coalition announced one – except in the case of defensive actions. 

Bellingcat has geolocated at least 19 villages damaged in military assaults during the first 20 days of the ceasefire. Two of them were identified from ground reporting. Three additional villages were damaged after the earthquake but before the ceasefire – bringing the total to 22 villages.

The airstrikes targeted civilian areas in territory held by rebel forces and territory where the junta is fighting to regain control. The villages damaged after the ceasefire were geolocated by cross-referencing our findings with NASA FIRMS or satellite imagery alongside local and other media sources.