Market hit in region dominated by rebels. ‘Civilian casualties’
In Burma, a military air raid on a village in the northern state of Kachin killed at least 15 people and injured 10 others in a crowded market. This was stated by the rebels of the local ethnic group, the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), which has around 7,000 fighters, controls the region and is fighting against the coup junta. “All those killed were civilians and were either gold miners or traders,” Kia spokesman Naw Bu said.
The military junta that took power in Burma with the coup d’état in February 2021, putting an end to a decade of democracy, is struggling to control the country, which is prey to resistance movements, mostly ethnic-based. The military is accused of repeatedly hitting civilians in air raids deemed indiscriminate. The State of Kachin, where the predominantly Christian ethnic group of the same name prevails, is rich in gold, jade and rare earth mines: raw materials almost entirely exported to China.
