Myanmar military air strikes on ethnic rebel group kill around 50

BANGKOK: Myanmar military air strikes on a concert held by a major ethnic rebel group killed around 50 people and wounded 70, the rebels said on Monday.

A number of Myanmar´s myriad ethnic rebel groups have come out in support of anti-coup fighters since last year´s putsch, offering shelter and training while themselves clashing with the junta.

Around 8:40 pm (1440 GMT) on Sunday, two Myanmar military jets attacked a ceremony the Kachin Independence Army (KIA) was holding, its spokesman Colonel Naw Bu told AFP. “Around 50 people were killed including KIA members and civilians,” he said, adding that around 70 were wounded.

Local media reported that up to 60 soldiers and civilians had been killed, including singers who had been performing at the event in Hpakant township in the country´s north. Images shared by local media purported to show the aftermath, with debris littering the ground.

The United Nations´ office in Myanmar said it was “deeply concerned and saddened by reports of airstrikes that took place in Hpakant, Kachin State”. “Initial reports suggest that over 100 civilians may have been affected by the bombing,” it said in a statement.