Once thought of as a safe haven for generals, the Myanmar capital Naypyitaw’s image as a fortress was dented on Thursday afternoon when an explosion rocked a military facility in the city.
The first-ever attack on a military-related building in the official seat of the Myanmar military regime was made public by the Naypyitaw People’s Defense Force (PDF), which claimed responsibility for the explosion at the office of the Directorate of Procurement of the Commander-in-Chief of Defense Services (Army) in Pobbathiri Township.
The Naypyitaw PDF, which operates under the command of the Central Command of the parallel National Unity Government (NUG)’s Defense Ministry, said it carried out the attack together with another revolutionary group that does not want to be named.
The attack on the military office came hours after regime spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun, speaking at a press conference, challenged the NUG ministers to come out of hiding.
According to the security forces’ internal report, which went viral online, an explosive planted inside a flower pot under the building’s portico went off at around 5 in the afternoon. Pictures from the scene show that the portico ceiling and a vehicle nearby were damaged. No one was injured.
Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun was not available for comment on Friday.
The request for anonymity by the group that reportedly carried out the joint attack with the Naypyitaw PDF is unusual. PDFs have for the most part revealed their identities when claiming previous attacks on military targets.
The Naypyitaw PDF warned that Thursday’s attack was intended merely as an initial warning to a handful of regime stooges it said had ignored the people by failing to join the Civil Disobedience Movement, adding that harsher punitive actions would be taken against them in the near future.
You may also like these stories:
The Revolt Against Myanmar’s Junta Can Succeed
Myanmar Needs ‘People First’ Assistance
Myanmar: From Diplomacy to Force
