At least eight people were killed in two explosions and a subsequent shooting at Yangon’s Insein Prison on Wednesday morning. Those killed include the mother of a jailed prominent student activist, relatives of at least two other political detainees, and three prison staff.
According to locals, two parcel bombs exploded in a building near the prison entrance used for receiving supplies brought for political detainees by relatives. After the explosions, junta forces began shooting indiscriminately, they said.
Daw Kyee Myint, 54, the mother of Ko Lin Htet Naing, aka Ko James, was killed while delivering food for her detained son, who was arrested on June 18 by junta forces in Yangon, family members confirmed to The Irrawaddy.
“It was earlier than she usually visits the prison. But she said she wanted to take some food for her son and went out,” a family member said.
According to the junta, the blasts killed a total of eight people—three prison staff and five visitors including a child—and injured 18: five prison staff and 13 civilians.
At least two other political detainees’ mothers were among the civilians killed, according to a family member of a political prisoner.
One was Daw Thin Thin Cho, who was at the prison to testify as a witness in her son’s case. Her son, who was an employee of Air KBZ, was arrested in September last year for allegedly plotting to crash one of the airline’s planes by putting leaves inside its pitot tubes, which measure airspeed.
The mother of anti-regime protester Ko Hein, who was violently arrested during a flash mob protest near Pan Pin Gyi Road in Yangon’s Kyimyindaing Township, was also killed, according to activists.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attack yet. The notorious Insein Prison holds thousands of political prisoners including elected leaders, activists, politicians and student protesters.