Myanmar capital military base attacked by drones, anti-junta groups say

A military base in the capital of army-ruled Myanmar came under attack by drones on Thursday, April 4, the shadow government and local media said, an attack a local armed resistance group claimed responsibility for.

Reuters could not independently confirm the information and the military government could not immediately be reached for confirmation the incident had taken place.

The National Unity Government (NUG), an alliance of anti-junta groups formed to undermine military rule in the wake of a 2021 coup, said the attack was carried out in Naypyitaw, but provided no details on the drones or weapons used, or whether the base sustained any damage.

State-controlled media outlets carried no news of the reported incident.

If confirmed, the incident could be a major blow to the credibility of a military that is facing its biggest test since first taking power of the former British colony in 1962.

The junta has been fighting on multiple fronts to contain uprisings around the country and stabilize an economy that has wilted since the coup.

Naypyitaw is the seat of power for the military government and home to much of its defense hardware, built in a remote area of central Myanmar about two decades ago by the previous junta that had ruled for more than two decades.

A spokesperson for the NUG’s affiliate in Naypyitaw, the People’s Defense Force (PDF) said it carried out the attack under the instruction of the NUG’s defense ministry and said it took place in two locations, one of which was an air force base. It did not provide details of the attack.

The NUG’s defense ministry could not immediately be reached for details of the alleged attack and other NUG sources referred Reuters to the group’s initial statement.

Myanmar is locked in a civil war between the military on one side and, on the other, a loose alliance of ethnic minority rebels and so-called PDFs, a movement spawned out of the junta’s bloody crackdown on anti-coup protests.

Its military-installed president last year said the country was at risk of breaking apart, while its ruling general in a national address last week called for unity among the people and military to fight armed groups with foreign backing who were seeking to destroy the country and derail plans to hold an election.

Citing unnamed military and security personnel, news outlets BBC Burmese and Khit Thit reported the runway of the air force base had been closed to remove munitions. The runway is connected to the city’s civilian airport.

News outlet Mizzima said, without providing a source, that 16 drones were used to attack the military base and 13 were used in an attack on the air force base.

Reuters could not independently verify the information. – Rappler.com