Myanmar’s government has confirmed it struck a village early Tuesday in an attack on an armed dissident group in the remote township of Kanbalu.
Media outlets financed by the US, British, and French states claimed that dozens of deaths were recorded in the strike, which Myanmar’s leaders defended by noting they were targeting anti-government militants.
"There was [an] office opening ceremony" by the group at "about 8 AM at Pazi Gyi village," explained Zaw Min Tun, a senior spokesman for the Myanmar Army, who reportedly affirmed: "We attacked that place."
A statement by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ office said he "strongly condemns the attack by the Myanmar Armed Forces today."
The US issued a statement condemning Myanmar as well.
The State Department said it’s "deeply concerned" about the strikes, which spokesman Vedant Patel claimed "further underscore" what he called "the regime's disregard for human life."
The government of Myanmar classifies groups like the one it struck Tuesday as terrorists, and has pledged to return the entirety of its country to its control.
It last drew condemnation from Western governments for an attack on ethnic separatists in October 2022 which reportedly left as many as 60 dead.
Last month, the country’s military confirmed it was establishing another six-month extension of a state of emergency, postponing elections slated for August for a fourth time due to the national security situation.