The main pro-democracy resistance group in Myanmar announced that its armed wing had launched drone attacks on the airport and a military headquarters in Naypyitaw, the capital. However, the ruling military claimed to have destroyed or seized more than a dozen drones used in the attacks. The National Unity Government’s “Defense Ministry” stated that special units of the People’s Defense Force carried out the attacks simultaneously. The NUG considers itself the legitimate government of the country, while the People’s Defense Force is made up of various local resistance groups with significant independence.
Although there was no immediate evidence of damage caused by the attack, the fact that the military acknowledged it happening in one of the most heavily guarded locations in the country is seen as a sign that they may be losing ground to their determined opponents. The NUG reported casualties from the attacks, while the military claimed there were none. State television MRTV reported that 13 drones crashed more or less intact, with two others exploding mid-air. The military initially claimed to have shot down seven drones. The BBC’s Burmese-language service and Khit Thit, an online news service sympathetic to the resistance, reported that the airport was briefly closed after the attacks.
Myanmar has been in upheaval since the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, leading to nationwide protests that were met with deadly force by the security forces. This escalated to armed resistance, effectively sparking a civil war. The airport compound that was targeted, which includes a military air base and a civilian airport, is located about 25 kilometers southwest of the military headquarters mentioned by the resistance group. The Kloud Team, specializing in drone warfare, claimed responsibility for the attack aimed at the house of Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, the head of the ruling military council, as well as the military headquarters and air base.
Despite the military having a significant advantage in weapons and manpower, they have been unable to suppress the resistance movement. The military frequently conducts air strikes in disputed areas, often hitting civilian targets and displacing around 2.4 million people since the 2021 coup. Drones have become essential weapons for the resistance forces, starting with smaller drones carrying lighter payloads and progressing to more sophisticated systems dropping explosives on military targets. Videos of the drone attacks are frequently shared on social media by the resistance groups. The People’s Defense Force and its local units have formed alliances with major ethnic guerrilla groups in border regions that have been fighting against the army for autonomy for decades.
In October, an armed ethnic alliance launched a surprise offensive, capturing towns, military bases, and garrisons along the Chinese border. This operation involved the Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army, the Arakan Army, and the Ta’ang National Liberation Army, known as the Three Brotherhood Alliance, and was a significant success for the resistance movement. Although victory is not yet guaranteed for the opposition, experts believe this operation marked a turning point in the conflict. The military junta has been flaunting its strength, as evidenced by the recent annual parade, yet they continue to face unprecedented losses to rebel forces, particularly with the increasing use of drones in the resistance movement’s strategies.
