A junta jet fighter jet deliberately targeted and bombed the Myoma (main) Market in the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) controlled Kutkai Town, in northern Shan State, on 5 August 2024

At approximately 1:00 pm on 5 August a junta reconnaissance plane was observed hovering over Kutkai Town for about thirty minutes.

Shortly after its departure, at around 2:00 pm, a fighter jet executed a targeted airstrike on the Kutkai Myoma Market. The fighter jet released multiple bombs and unleashed a barrage of machine gun fire on the market area, which exacerbated the devastation, according to a witness.

"The loud booms of explosions from the airstrike erupted around the Kutkai Myoma Market. I think the jet fighter dropped about six bombs, but I'm not sure of the exact number. As soon as the airstrike started, I dived into the underground bomb shelter. The air raid lasted almost an hour. The situation has calmed down now, but fires are still burning around the market”, said the witness.

Although the primary focus of the airstrike was the market, the damage also extended to the nearby No. 6 Ward. As soon as residents noticed the reconnaissance plane they began evacuating in anticipation of the impending attack. The extent of casualties is unknown as they have not yet been collated and reported on.

A resident of Kutkai Town said to KNG: "After spotting the reconnaissance plane, both the vendors and shoppers quickly returned home. As for the aftermath, I haven't been there to investigate yet, so I can't say for sure.”

Kutkai is a major town in northern Shan State with a population of over 50,000 residing in eight wards, according to the 2023 census. The TNLA and its allies took control of the town in January 2024.

They also control all of the surrounding Kutkai Township which is made up 68 village tracts with a total population exceeding 100,000.

The junta has a documented history of targeting civilian areas, including markets, in regions controlled by resistance forces or where resistance movements are strong. This tactic was previously observed at the end of February 2024, when junta shelled the Myoma Market in Sittwe, the capital of Arakan (Rakhine) State, killing at least a dozen people and injuring numerous others.

Similarly, in early May 2024, a junta airstrike involving drones resulted in the death of a woman and injuries to three civilians in a market in Sane Town in Kyaukphyu Township, Arakan (Rakhine) State.