The Myanmar military has increasingly been using “double-tap” airstrikes, in which a second attack follows an initial strike, resulting in the deaths and injuries of large numbers of civilians, according to the Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) in its annual report.
According to their report released on August 9, the Myanmar military has intensified airstrikes and other crimes against civilians both in the period leading up to the election and since taking control of the government. The report said such attacks have not decreased to date.
The investigation also found that, following an initial airstrike, people attempting to provide emergency assistance to those injured in the first attack have been deliberately targeted in subsequent strikes, said Nicholas Koumjian, head of the IIMM.
“The second attack is not aimed at people who are fighting. It targets civilians and those who come to rescue the injured in an emergency. That is why this case is particularly serious,” he said.
The military has also increasingly used paramotors and drones instead of conventional military aircraft in its airstrikes. This has made it more difficult for people to anticipate attacks and reduced their opportunities to flee or seek shelter.
The report stressed the urgent need to ensure accountability for those responsible for these crimes.
According to records compiled by human rights organizations in southeastern Myanmar, military attacks intensified during the first six months of 2026, damaging eight schools, 10 Buddhist monasteries, five Christian churches, and numerous homes.
Speaking to IMNA in an interview, Nai Aue Mon, director of the Human Rights Foundation of Monland (HURFOM), said the international community is currently unable to provide effective assistance in addressing crimes committed by the military regime.
“It’s not that the international community or the SEAN don’t know what the military government is doing. They know. But laws cannot simply be overturned outside negotiations; everything has to be done within the legal framework. The NUG cannot confront them, and ethnic armed organizations cannot confront them either. At the same time, there is pressure from China. What I mean is that the international community can no longer provide assistance. If we want something to change, we have to make the effort ourselves,” he said.
The IIMM continues to investigate crimes allegedly committed by the Myanmar military. The report said evidence has been shared with the IIMM’s prosecutorial authorities and Argentine authorities, while further investigative reports are being finalized by relevant legal authorities.
IIMM said its investigations are based on information collected from more than 1,600 sources, including testimony from more than 750 witnesses, as well as photographs, videos, audio recordings, documents, maps, satellite imagery, social media posts, and forensic evidence.
