Mizzima
The junta launched over 350 airstrikes in Karenni State since the start of the Karenni defence forces 1111 Offensive on 11 November until 30 Novembe
The 350 airstrikes, which killed 76 civilians between 11 and 27 November, targeted the towns of Loikaw, Moebye, and Demoso, according to the Karenni Humanitarian Aid for IDPs (KHAI) organisation.
KHAI reported that on 29 November alone, there were 60 airstrikes according to the Karenni Army (KA).
According to the Progressive Karenni People Force (PKPF), an ethnic rights group overseeing regime atrocities in the state, there was a total of 880 airstrikes on Karenni State since the coup until the end of November 2023.
This means that in the 19 days from 11 until 30 November 2023, the junta launched more than half as many airstrikes in Karenni State than it had in over two-and-a-half years from the February 2021 coup until the beginning of November 2023, when it carried out 530 airstrikes in the state.
The November airstrikes were carried out by a variety of jet fighters deploying a range of bombs, according to an official from the Central News and Information Department of the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF).
He said: “During the initial four or five days of Operation 1111, the junta air strikes took the form of 15-minute attacks employing various jet fighters. They not only dropped bombs but also fired machine guns. We observed that they used a variety of jets for the attacks, including types that had never been seen before.”
A significant number of the airstrikes targeted Loikaw and some of them dropped 500-pound bombs, according to KHAI.
A KHAI official said: “The junta’s airstrikes are predominantly focused on strategic battlegrounds. However, they have also targeted civilian areas, including public camps, internally displaced persons (IDPs) camps, schools, hospitals, and more.”
76 civilians were killed in airstrikes in Karenni State between 11 and 27 November, according to KHAI.
The KA, the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF) and other Karenni-based defence forces launched the 1111 Offensive on 11 November. They now control nearly half of Loikaw, according to the KNDF and control all the routes into Loikaw.
Junta launches 350 airstrikes in Karenni State over 19 days
