Amid earthquake crisis, Myanmar military still bombs towns

An armed resistance movement against Myanmar's military-run government criticized the junta on Sunday for conducting airstrikes on villages even as the country reels from an earthquake that has killed around 1,700 people.

Shortly after Friday's devastating earthquake, military jets launched airstrikes and drone attacks in Karen state, near the Karen National Union (KNU) headquarters, according to the Free Burma Rangers, a relief organization.

KNU is one of Myanmar's oldest ethnic armies

A spokesman for the junta did not reply to queries from Reuters about the criticism.

Civil war

Myanmar has been locked in civil war with multiple armed opposition groups since a 2021 coup, when the military seized power from the elected government of Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.

The KNU said in a statement that the junta "continues to carry out airstrikes targeting civilian areas, even as the population suffers tremendously from the earthquake".

The group said that under normal circumstances, the military would be prioritizing relief efforts, but instead is focused on "deploying forces to attack its people".

The epicenter of the 7.7-magnitude quake was in an area held by junta forces, but the devastation is widespread and also affected some territory held by armed resistance movements.

Rescue personnel work at the site of a building that collapsed, following a strong earthquake, in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 29, 2025. Reuters

On Sunday, the opposition National Unity Government, which includes remnants of the government ousted in 2021, said anti-junta militias under its command would pause all offensive military action for two weeks.

'Needs to stop'

Richard Horsey, the senior Myanmar adviser at Crisis Group, said some anti-junta forces have halted their offensives but fighting continues elsewhere.

"The regime also continues to launch airstrikes, including in affected areas. That needs to stop," he said.

He added that the regime was not providing much visible support in quake-hit areas.

Rescuers work at the site of a building that collapsed, in the aftermath of a strong earthquake, in Mandalay, Myanmar, March 30, 2025. Reuters

"Local fire brigades, ambulance crews, and community organizations have mobilized, but the military - who would normally be mobilized to support in such a crisis - are nowhere to be seen," Horsey said.