YANGON: Four members of Myanmar’s security services, including a brigadier-general, were fatally shot dead by sniper fire as their helicopter prepared to land near Myawaddy on the Thai border, a military source informed western media.
Brigadier General Aye Min Naung, his personal security officer, and two pilots were targeted by a sniper during the landing process in eastern Thingannyinaung town. The brigadier general succumbed to his injuries, while two others on the helicopter survived, according to the anonymous source.
The source did not disclose the number of snipers involved or attribute blame for the incident. Clashes between the junta and ethnic minority fighters, along with allied “People’s Defense Force” groups, have been frequent in the Myawaddy region in recent months.
Images circulated by local media depicted the aftermath of the incident, showing a small helicopter lying on its side in a field. Reports suggested that the helicopter in question was a twin-engine Eurocopter 365.
This incident marks another high-ranking officer’s death on the frontlines as the junta continues its battle against opponents of the coup across the country. In a previous incident in November, a brigadier-general from a light infantry battalion was killed by a drone-dropped bomb in Monekoe near the China border.
Six brigadier generals are in custody
Six brigadier generals are presently in custody for surrendering with over 2,000 troops to an alliance of ethnic minority fighters in the Kokang region.
In a separate incident in November, a light fighter jet crashed in the east of the country, where ongoing fighting is reported. Anti-coup forces claimed responsibility for shooting it down, while the junta attributed the crash to engine failure.
Since the military coup in 2021, Myanmar has experienced widespread conflict, with various armed ethnic groups engaging the junta on multiple fronts.
