The military junta carried out an airstrike on a mining site near Payathonzu in Kyainseikgyi Township, Karen State, on the morning of April 26, according to local sources.
Residents reported that junta aircraft dropped more than 35 bombs around the Makkatha village area, specifically targeting Mining Sites No. 2 and No. 5.
“There were no casualties among civilians as far as we know. The bombs didn’t fall inside Makkatha village itself; they hit the forested mining area nearby. Over 30 bombs were dropped,” a resident from Payathonzu said.
Although there were no reported casualties, some infrastructure within the mining sites sustained damage from the airstrikes, according to local reports.
This is not the first attack on the mining operations near Makkatha. In 2022, the junta also conducted an airstrike on the area, during which several mine workers, including Chinese nationals, were reportedly killed.
The Makkatha mining sites are located within the 6th Brigade territory of the Karen National Union (KNU). These operations have been running under official permits issued by the former military-backed government and are reportedly linked to Thai and Chinese companies.
