Airstrike on Football Match in Natogyi Kills Nine, Including Civilians and PDF Members

The death toll from a military airstrike targeting a football match in Natogyi Township, Myingyan District, has risen to nine, according to local sources and revolutionary groups.

The attack occurred on the afternoon of January 15 around 3:00 PM near a school in Hsu Phyu Kone village. Witnesses reported that two fighter jets from the Tada-U airbase carried out two separate bombing runs while approximately 100 people—including resistance fighters and local villagers—were gathered for a friendly football match.

Casualties and Victims Ground sources confirmed that while three people died instantly, the death toll reached nine by January 17. The deceased include:

• Four Revolutionary Personnel: Members from NUG Defense Ministry Battalions 4 and 10, as well as MDY-PDF.
• Five Civilians: Including one unidentified woman who was hit by shrapnel while watching the game.

At least 30 others sustained injuries, including some who suffered limb loss. Medics treating the wounded in Natogyi warned that the death toll may continue to rise due to the severity of the injuries.

Targeting Social Gatherings A representative from the Natogyi People’s Defense Organization (PDO) suggested the military might have acted on specific intelligence provided by informants, as the strike happened exactly when the match was in progress.

This incident follows a pattern of strikes on crowded public spaces. In December, a similar airstrike on a teahouse in Depayin Township during a televised SEA Games football match killed 18 people.

Escalating Air War Research group Nyan Lynn Thit reported 223 attacks targeting civilians nationwide between January 9 and 15. While the military continues its aerial offensive in Mandalay and Magway regions, resistance forces have also utilized drones. On the same day as the Natogyi strike, a drone attack by Yesagyo PDO reportedly killed eight members of a pro-military militia (Pyu Saw Htee) during a cane-ball game in Sin Chaung village.

In response to the increasing aerial threat, the Mandalay Interim Government Council (MIGC) has urged both revolutionary forces and civilians to avoid large public gatherings, stating that the military no longer distinguishes between military and civilian targets.