30 April 2026 By Nway
KANPETLET, Myanmar — At least nine civilians, including one woman, were killed on Wednesday when the Myanmar military launched a targeted airstrike on a group of volunteers repairing a bridge in Kyindwe, Chin State.
The attack occurred at approximately 10:15 AM on 29 April near the Mone Chaung bridge. According to local sources, a junta jet fighter dropped two 300-lb bombs directly onto the construction site where local residents were gathered to provide voluntary labour for infrastructure repairs.
“The people were there purely for a community service project, working to fix the bridge next to Kyindwe,” a military source in Kanpetlet told MPA. “Nine people were killed instantly—eight men and one woman. We are still working to verify all their ages.”
In addition to the fatalities, three other civilians sustained injuries and are currently receiving medical treatment. The blast also destroyed essential heavy machinery, including a JCB excavator and a truck, along with several motorcycles belonging to the workers.
The strike on Kyindwe coincided with reports of further aerial activity across the region. According to the aviation monitoring channel Wai Hin, junta jets also carried out strikes at two separate locations in Matupi Township later that same morning.
Kyindwe was captured by the Chin Brotherhood (CB) and its allies exactly two years ago, on 29 April 2024, and remains under the administrative control of the Chin Defence Force (CDF)-Kanpetlet. Analysts suggest that the timing of the strike on the town’s key infrastructure may have been a calculated move to mark the anniversary of the military’s territorial loss.
Human rights groups have repeatedly accused the Myanmar military of war crimes for its continued targeting of non-combatant populations and civilian infrastructure. The use of heavy ordinance on public works sites underscores the extreme risks faced by civilians in “liberated” zones, where the junta increasingly relies on airpower to exert pressure on areas it can no longer control on the ground.
The military junta has not issued a statement regarding the Kyindwe bombing. For the residents of southern Chin State, the attack is a stark reminder that even the simplest act of community rebuilding can now carry a fatal price.
