Myanmar’s junta conducted 92 shelling attacks and airstrikes between March 28 to April 8, killing 72 people and injuring 91 amid the earthquake devastation, according to the Human Rights Ministry of the civilian National Unity Government (NUG).
The ministry on Wednesday said Sagaing and Mandalay regions, which were severely impacted by the 7.7-magnitude earthquake, reported the highest numbers of junta attacks, with 18 shelling attacks and airstrikes in each region.
Junta assaults on civilian and resistance targets were reported in eight Sagaing Region townships, many of which were quake-affected. The ministry said six people were killed and 15 injured.
Junta airstrikes and shelling targeted eight Mandalay Region townships, including ones close to Mandalay city that was badly impacted by the quake. Two deaths and five injuries were reported in the attacks.
After the March 28 earthquake, several anti-regime groups and organizations loyal to the NUG declared ceasefires to allow quake rescue operations.
But junta boss Min Aung Hlaing publicly vowed to continue military operations and rejected the ceasefires.
He told a donation ceremony for quake rescue efforts in Naypyitaw on April 1 that armed organizations were continuing with training despite claims of a ceasefire, claiming that this amounted to continued attacks.
Regime airstrikes reportedly targeted Kachin Independence Army (KIA) training in Mohnyin District, Kachin State, on March 31, killing around 30 trainees and injuring 20 others.
The junta declared a 20-day ceasefire on April 2 before Min Aung Hlaing’s trip to Thailand for a seven-nation BIMSTEC regional summit after China urged the regime to ensure the safety of quake relief workers and supplies. The call followed the shooting by regime troops on a Chinese Red Cross convoy in northern Shan State.
But airstrikes continued in Kachin, Chin and Rakhine states and Mandalay, Magwe and Sagaing regions and elsewhere in the country.
Anti-regime groups blamed the regime for breaching its quake truce while some groups have attacked junta forces.
On Monday, the KIA, All Burma Students’ Democratic Front and resistance allies defeated the junta’s last base in Indaw Township, northern Sagaing Region, and seized the town.
The KIA justified the attack because the regime had already breached its quake ceasefire.
On Monday, the Chin Brotherhood of six anti-regime groups seized Falam Township in Chin State after defeating the last regime base in Falam town.
Junta spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun said on Wednesday that the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, Karenni National Progressive Party, Karenni Nationalities Defense Force, Arakan Army, KIA and People’s Defense Forces attacked their bases and forces in Sagaing and Magwe regions and Rakhine, Karenni (Kayah) and northern Shan states on Monday during its quake ceasefire.
