Myanmar's Mandalay airport shuts after drone attack
Myanmar Airways International said all international flights were suspended and domestic service was diverted after six drones struck the airport, officials said.
- On Friday, Sept 11, Myanmar's second-busiest airport at Mandalay closed for two days following a drone attack. Security sources told AFP six "suicide drones" struck the area on Thursday, Sept 10.
- The military-backed government blamed the raid on pro-democracy guerrillas known as the People's Defence Forces, who took up arms following the 2021 coup. It described the airport as "a non-military, public transportation system."
- Both rebel groups and the Myanmar military now use drones in a civil war that monitors say has killed more than 100,000 people. The military relies on Chinese- and Russian-made jets to fend off factions.
- While the military-backed government claimed the attack caused no casualties but disrupted flight schedules, a second security officer confirmed Mandalay would be "closed for maintenance" until Sunday. This strike marked a rare rebel attack in a major urban stronghold.
- Myanmar's conflict escalated after the 2021 coup ended a decade-long democratic experiment by toppling the government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The military remains on the offensive against various guerrilla groups across the nation.
21 Articles
21 Articles
Drone Assault Grounds Flights at Mandalay Airport Amid Escalating Conflict
Flight operations at Myanmar's Mandalay International Airport are halted following a drone attack by rebels. Myanmar Airways International announced cancellations, while domestic flights shift to another airport. No casualties reported, but the incident reflects ongoing civil conflict after Myanmar's 2021 coup.
The second busiest airport in Myanmar will remain closed for two days after being attacked with explosive drones by rebel groups active in the country following the 2021 coup d'état. Mandalay airport is a hub for international and national flight connections, but civilian air strikes alert groups consider it also acts as a runway from which military aircraft are taking off to make incursions. Six "suicide drones" attacked it on Thursday afternoo…
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newscentraltv.comMyanmar airport shut after rebel drone attack
Thursday's apparent drone raid was a rare acknowledgement of a rebel attack in one of Myanmar's large urban areas.
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