Myanmar Army Intensifies Attacks on Civilians Following Command Restructuring
The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) has reported a significant escalation in pressure and attacks against civilians after the Myanmar army restructured its command in March. According to the organization, since the appointment of the new army commander, air bombing campaigns and crackdown operations have intensified.
The ACLED report, published by Reuters, notes that these changes include the regular deployment of specialized groups comprising two to five fighter jets to carry out sustained airstrikes on specific targets. A spokesperson for the Myanmar government has not yet responded to Reuters’ inquiries on this matter.
The monitoring organization stated that in the first half of 2026 alone, it recorded over two dozen mass killing incidents, resulting in the deaths of more than 450 civilians. About 40 percent of these casualties occurred in the central dry zone known as “Anyaer.”
According to three residents of the Meikhtila district, hundreds of army soldiers entered parts of the area in May and killed at least 40 people. One resident reported that approximately 700 soldiers entered the town, confiscated people’s property, and then beat and shot them. Reuters noted that it was unable to independently verify these accounts, although the event was recorded in ACLED’s database with at least five deaths and was also reported by local media.
ACLED emphasized that the military approach in 2026 represents a change in suppression methods rather than a decrease in intensity. This comes as regional diplomatic efforts have increased following the transfer of power from military leadership to civilian presidency under Min Aung Hlaing in April.
Myanmar has been embroiled in a deep political crisis and civil war since February 2021, when the military ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. According to monitoring sources, the crisis has so far resulted in about 100,000 deaths and displaced millions.
