At least four blasts occurred in various townships in Yangon on Friday afternoon, killing two police and wounding others.
Residents of one of the city’s busiest neighborhoods, Sanchaung Township, said they heard three explosions a few minutes apart.
The blasts occurred near the regime’s local General Administrative Office of the township. The explosions killed two policemen stationed at an outpost near the office on the spot, witnesses said.
“Several others were wounded as well,” a resident said.
A few minutes later, another two explosions occurred in the neighborhood, including one at the junction of Bagayar Street and Baho Road.
Hours later, another blast went off near a railway track in Tamwe Township. No causalities were reported.
On Thursday, an explosion occurred at the car-parking area of the Thai-run wholesale supermarket Makro. Following the blast, regime forces blocked all the entrances to the supermarket and tightened security. No casualties have been reported. On the same day, a policeman from Yangon’s South Dagon Township police station was killed when a Bluetooth speaker left by someone near the police station exploded. The speaker box was left with music playing and exploded as the policeman checked it when the music finished.
Cities and town across Myanmar have occasionally experienced explosions by unknown attackers since late March following the regime’s deadly crackdowns on protesters. The regime’s local administrative offices, police stations and government schools (which have been closed until back-to-school day on June 1) were largely targeted. The blasts have become more frequent recently.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attacks. However, the junta said “rioters”—the military’s euphemism for anti-regime protesters—were behind the blasts. The Irrawaddy can’t independently verify that claim.
Residents of Yangon, like others in the country, didn’t seem to be concerned about who masterminded the blasts as long as police and soldiers were killed or wounded.
Whenever an explosion an explsosion is heard these days, people only ask “where” and “what were their casualties?” The men in uniform have become so despised because of their brutality against young protesters that many people are elated upon learning of deaths or injuries on the part of police and soldiers.
That sentiment is also evident in the comment boxes of local media’s Facebook posts on the incidents.
On Friday, The Irrawaddy’s Burmese Edition post on the blasts that killed two police in Sanchaung was shared by 4,700 people within two hours.
One seemingly frustrated reader posted a comment: “Why only two (killed)?”
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