By Ra Wai / MPA
The Myanmar military has escalated its aerial bombardment of central Magway Region, targeting oil infrastructure and civilian villages in a month-long campaign that has left a teenager dead and healthcare facilities destroyed, local resistance sources say.
Residents and defence groups in Myaing Township report near-daily strikes involving fighter jets and gyrocopters since early December 2025. The intensified attacks come despite a lack of active ground combat in the area, leading local observers to accuse the junta of deliberately targeting the region’s economic lifelines and civilian population.
On the evening of 6 January, a fighter jet bombed Kyet Mauk village, killing a 16-year-old girl and seriously injuring six other civilians. Two homes were destroyed in the strike.
Earlier that same day, gyrocopters deployed by the Northwestern Regional Military Command bombed Wet Taung Myauk village, destroying a rural health clinic—a violation of international norms protecting medical facilities.
The strikes appear to be strategically aimed at the region’s artisanal oil industry, a vital source of income for local communities and resistance administration.
“We believe the bombings are aimed at destroying oil wells, refineries, and storage tanks,” an official from the Myaing People’s Defence Team (PaKaFa) told MPA.
The bombardment has continued into this week. On the morning of 8 January, a jet fighter dropped bombs between Manyeikan and Nyaungkone villages, later returning to strike residential areas in Manyeikan. While no casualties were reported in the latest attack, three homes were completely destroyed.
“Since December, gyrocopters have been conducting continuous attacks, while jet fighters are used for intermittent strikes,” a PaKaFa public affairs officer stated, highlighting the systematic nature of the air campaign.
The escalation in Magway reflects a broader tactic by the military junta to rely on air superiority as it faces stiff resistance on the ground across the country.
