GANGRAW, Myanmar — A mother and her 13-year-old daughter have been killed after Myanmar’s sham government launched a devastating aerial assault on a site housing displaced civilians in northern Gangaw Township.
The attack, which involved four jet fighters dropping eight 300lb bombs, took place on Monday afternoon, March 16, 2026. Two other members of the same family were critically injured in the raid on the Kyauk Gu area, part of a cluster of five villages currently housing internal refugees.
Local sources told MPA that two of the heavy bombs struck directly near a makeshift hut where a family from Kan Village had been seeking refuge.
“The mother, aged 50, and her 13-year-old daughter died instantly at the scene,” a local military source said. “The father, 54, is in critical condition, and their eldest daughter, 20, is likely to face an amputation after sustaining severe leg injuries. The other bombs landed in nearby forested areas.”
While there were reports that the sham government forces targeted the area under the belief that it housed a resistance camp, residents and activists insist that only civilians were present and no active clashes were occurring in the vicinity at the time.
The Magway Region has seen a sharp increase in the military’s reliance on airpower as its ground forces struggle to maintain control. The use of 300lb unguided bombs on residential and displacement areas has drawn widespread condemnation from human rights organizations, who describe such tactics as a “silent war” against the civilian population.
Later that same day, at approximately 15:40, another jet fighter reportedly dropped a bomb in southern Htilin Township. While no casualties were reported in that second incident, the persistent threat from the skies has forced thousands of already displaced people to move once again deeper into the jungle.
The survivors of the Gangaw strike are currently receiving emergency medical treatment, though local responders warn that a lack of specialized medicine and surgical equipment in conflict zones is hindering their chances of recovery.
As the sham government faces a multi-front insurgency across the country, its air force remains its primary tool for projecting power, often at a catastrophic cost to those fleeing the violence on the ground.
