Resistance forces report significant challenges as the military junta has ramped up drone strikes in recent months, particularly toward the end of 2024. The use of drones for bombing missions, along with airstrikes and artillery shelling, has intensified battlefield difficulties.
According to Captain Aung San Shar of the Southern Operations Force (SOF), the junta has expanded its arsenal to include both improvised explosive devices and commercially available drones retrofitted for combat.
“Their convoys now operate with up to 40–50 drones, deploying them extensively. This escalation complicates operations for resistance groups, as we face drone strikes in addition to air and artillery attacks. We’ve had to adapt and remain highly vigilant, but the battlefield environment has become far more challenging,” he stated.
Fierce clashes continue at Ahnankwin, a key strategic site, where the junta employs relentless drone attacks day and night. The resistance groups noted that drone strikes often target not only armed fighters but also civilian areas, including villages, monasteries, schools, religious sites, and homes, causing widespread destruction and casualties.
Data from the Blood Money Campaign, a civilian monitoring group, revealed that drone attacks claimed 38 civilian lives, including women and children, and injured 70 others between June and September 2024 alone.
Captain Aung San Shar emphasized the growing threat to civilians, saying, “Drone attacks frequently strike non-military targets, with devastating consequences for ordinary people. Monasteries, schools, and homes have been hit indiscriminately, resulting in heightened civilian suffering.”
Resistance groups suspect that the junta’s drones are primarily sourced from China, with modifications made locally for military use. According to a report by the Myanmar Peace and Security Research Institute, the junta has acquired thousands of Chinese-made commercial drones and adapted them for use with locally manufactured munitions since the start of the year.
The escalation of drone warfare marks a significant evolution in the junta’s strategy, posing severe risks to both resistance forces and civilian populations caught in the conflict zones.
