At least 24 people were killed and more than 50 others injured after a military paraglider bombing Myanmar festival targeted a Buddhist religious gathering in the country’s northwestern Sagaing Region, witnesses and local media reported. The deadly strike, one of the most shocking attacks in Myanmar’s ongoing civil conflict, has sparked international outrage and renewed calls for accountability.
The attack occurred on Monday evening in Bon To village, Chaung-U township, as hundreds of residents attended a Buddhist Lent celebration. The event, which also featured a candlelight vigil demanding the release of detained democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, turned tragic when a motorized paraglider aircraft appeared overhead. According to eyewitnesses, the aircraft dropped two powerful bombs directly onto the festival grounds.
Videos and photos shared by local sources showed scenes of devastation — scattered debris, blood-stained robes, and stunned villagers searching for survivors. Among the victims were monks, women, and children. Locals said the paraglider circled back hours later and released more explosives, though no further casualties were confirmed.
Humanitarian groups condemned the assault as another example of the Myanmar junta’s deliberate targeting of civilians. Amnesty International called it “a war crime that exemplifies the military’s cruelty and disregard for human life.” The organization urged the United Nations and ASEAN to increase pressure on Myanmar’s generals, who have faced limited consequences since the 2021 coup.
The Sagaing Region has become a stronghold of anti-junta resistance, where armed civilian militias known as People’s Defense Forces (PDFs) operate. In recent months, the military has resorted to low-cost aerial attacks using drones and improvised aircraft like paragliders to strike rebel-held territories. Analysts say the shift reflects the army’s struggle to maintain control amid heavy resistance and mounting territorial losses.
Residents described the bombing as unprecedented. “We heard the sound of an engine like a motorbike in the sky. Then the bombs fell,” said one survivor, who lost several relatives in the blast. “They killed us during prayer. There were no soldiers here — only villagers.”
International observers fear such attacks signal an escalation in the junta’s campaign to crush dissent before next year’s planned election, widely dismissed as illegitimate. Despite mounting civilian casualties, the military leadership has shown little concern for global condemnation, relying instead on support from key allies such as Russia and China.
As the world reacts to the paraglider bombing Myanmar festival, survivors continue to bury their loved ones and brace for further violence. The tragedy serves as a grim reminder that, nearly five years after the coup, Myanmar’s struggle for democracy remains mired in bloodshed and impunity.
