Opponents of Myanmar’s ruling military junta executed drone attacks on key military installations in the capital, Naypyidaw. The National Unity Government (NUG), an opposition group formed in the aftermath of the 2021 military coup, announced that it had targeted the military headquarters and Alar Air Base with drone strikes. The NUG’s statement mentioned preliminary reports of casualties, although these claims could not be independently verified. In response, the military reported shooting down seven drones.
The backdrop to these drone attacks is a country deeply embroiled in conflict, with the military fighting against a myriad of opponents, including ethnic armed groups and newly formed people’s defense forces aligned with the NUG. The military has suffered significant battlefield losses, contributing to low morale among its ranks and prompting a wave of surrenders by soldiers.
The NUG, representing the ousted civilian government of Aung San Suu Kyi, has stepped up its military efforts against the junta, utilizing drones as a cost-effective means of striking against the better-armed military, which has been accused of indiscriminate bombings against civilians. Naypyidaw, the administrative capital established by the military, has so far been insulated from the level of conflict seen in other parts of the country but has now emerged as a direct target of opposition forces.
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