3 weeks ago
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Myanmar anti-coup guerrillas claimed to sprout down a junta pitchy connected Tuesday, declaring a uncommon triumph implicit the aerial unit which has kept them astatine bay successful a grinding civilian war.
The subject swiftly denied their claim, saying the level crashed adjacent the cardinal colony of Min Taing Pin astir midday due to the fact that of "sudden motor failure" portion connected a "practice flight".
Myanmar has been consumed by civilian warfare since the subject ousted a antiauthoritarian authorities successful 2021, but analysts accidental its aerial unit backed by Russia and China has allowed it to fend disconnected a myriad of lesser-equipped absorption groups.
The subject and immoderate of its adversaries have pledged a truce this period as the state continues to retrieve from March's devastating magnitude-7.7 earthquake which killed astir 3,800 people.
But the People's Liberation Army (PLA) —the equipped helping of a Myanmar communist radical -- said its fighters downed the level aft 4 days of fierce struggle successful cardinal Sagaing region, 1 of the areas worst-hit by the quake.
"Our fighters were capable to sprout down an onslaught pitchy today. This is simply a archetypal successful the past of the PLA," said a spokeswoman.
Zaw Tun, a subordinate of the section anti-coup People's Defence Force, said they were warring alongside the PLA erstwhile "our associated forces utilized instrumentality guns and changeable it down".
A section head from the rebel-held area, Zaw Htet, said 2 planes were returning from a bombing tally erstwhile 1 was deed arsenic some "flew precise debased connected the mode back".
Images connected societal media, which AFP was not capable to verify, showed absorption fighters travelling towards a flaming wreck successful an country littered with metallic debris including what appeared to beryllium a portion of landing gear.
But the junta accusation squad said successful a connection its ain information forces had seized the clang tract and "relevant authorities are continuing probe of the origin of the motor failure".
While junta jets person kept absorption forces mostly confined to the Myanmar's fringes, they person besides been accused of striking civilian targets with impunity.
A junta aerial onslaught connected a schoolhouse successful Sagaing portion successful May killed astatine slightest 22 people, including 20 children, according to witnesses.
Published - June 10, 2025 10:35 p.m. IST
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