FALAM, Myanmar — A Myanmar military airstrike has killed three young men, including a 14-year-old boy, in a rural village in Chin State, as the ruling junta intensifies its aerial campaign against resistance strongholds.
The attack occurred on the afternoon of March 14, 2026, when a Yak-130 jet fighter—reportedly departing from Tada-U Airbase—dropped two bombs on Lung Hot village in Falam Township.
According to local military sources and activists, the bombs scored direct hits on residential homes. The victims have been identified as 14-year-old Van Lian Thawng, 17-year-old Henry Kap Nei Sang, and 20-year-old Rang Lun Sang.
“The bombs hit their house while they were inside. They died from shrapnel wounds to their chests and faces,” a local source told MPA. Four others were injured in the strike, though poor telecommunications in the mountainous region have made it difficult to confirm their conditions or gender.
Local residents suggested that the victims might have recently returned to the village to collect personal belongings after previously fleeing to escape the ongoing conflict.
Lung Hot village, situated near the strategic Kalay-Teingyin-Falam highway, has become a frequent target for the military. This latest strike follows an incident on March 8, when a “kamikaze” drone attack on the same village killed a high school student and injured her mother.
“Homes were completely shredded in this latest attack,” a source added. “Lung Hot is being targeted repeatedly. Just a week ago, they hit us with suicide drones.”
The military’s continued operations and scorched-earth tactics in Falam Township have triggered a mass displacement of civilians. An estimated 5,000 people from 13 villages, including Lung Hot and Simzawl, are currently hiding in nearby forests and makeshift camps.
Access to medical care for the wounded remains a critical challenge due to the remote terrain and the military’s blockade of essential supplies.
The use of advanced jet trainers like the Yak-130 for ground attacks highlights the junta’s increasing reliance on airpower to compensate for its struggling ground forces. Human rights groups have repeatedly called for a ban on aviation fuel to Myanmar to stop such strikes on civilian populations, but the attacks continue with devastating frequency.
