KYAUKHTU, Myanmar — The Myanmar military has launched a sustained aerial offensive against Kyaukhtu sub-township in Magway Division, conducting at least 20 separate bombing raids during the first week of May, according to local reports.
From May 1 to May 7, 2026, jet fighters and Y-12 transport aircraft—scrambled from airbases in Tada-U, Magway, and Shan Te—targeted Kyaukhtu, Saw, and strategic locations along the border of Chin State.
Residents described a systematic pattern of terror. “Before they strike, UAV reconnaissance drones circle the area,” a 30-year-old local man told MPA. “Then come the jets, sometimes five at a time, firing rockets and point-five machine guns. Drones are also dropping bombs constantly. Ever since they stationed troops at Kan Gyi, the bombing has been relentless.”
The assault continued into the early hours of Friday, May 8. A jet fighter from Tada-U reportedly conducted two strikes: one near Kyaukhtu at 1:00 AM and another on the eastern outskirts of Mindat, Chin State, at 7:00 AM.
The full extent of casualties and the destruction of residential property is still being assessed, as ongoing strikes make ground verification hazardous.
Military analysts suggest the escalation is a precursor to a wider offensive. In late April, junta forces established a permanent base at Kan Gyi village—a critical junction connecting Saw, Kyaukhtu, and Mindat.
The aerial campaign is being coordinated with ground movements. A column of approximately 500 troops, deployed from Pyin Oo Lwin, reportedly entered Pauk Township on Friday morning. Residents in the area say they are now caught between the threat of advancing infantry and indiscriminate shelling from the nearby No. 24 Defense Industry factory (Ka-Pa-Sa).
The intensification of the conflict is coinciding with unpredictable weather patterns, complicating efforts for thousands of civilians attempting to seek refuge in the forests.
“We are constantly listening for the sound of planes and the movement of troops,” a woman from Saw Township said. “If we have to flee now, it will be very difficult. The weather is completely unstable.”
On May 5, a Y-8 transport aircraft was observed dropping supplies to junta outposts in Htilin, a move locals believe is intended to reinforce troops for a push into Southern Chin State. As the sham government moves to consolidate its hold on these contested borderlands, the civilian population remains under the shadow of a mounting humanitarian crisis, with few safe avenues for escape.
