Airstrikes continued to hit earthquake-stricken Myanmar despite SAC ceasefire

One month on from the devastating earthquake in Myanmar, open source analysis conducted by Myanmar Witness reveals how the Myanmar Air Force (MAF) continued to conduct airstrikes in the earthquake’s aftermath, despite the State Administration Council (SAC) calling a temporary ceasefire and national mourning period.

Warning: this article contains links to footage or images that some readers may find distressing. 

On 28 March 2025, a 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck Myanmar, causing severe damage to homes and infrastructure and reportedly affecting more than two million people. 

With the major Sagaing fault line running through its centre, Myanmar is no stranger to earthquakes. However, the recent quake is the most severe it has experienced in decades. It also occurred in the midst of Myanmar’s ongoing civil war, which has killed thousands and displaced millions since the 2021 coup. 

Despite a temporary ceasefire announced by the SAC on 2 April and a week-long period of national mourning declared on 31 March, the conflict has shown no signs of slowing, and has only compounded the devastation of the earthquake. 

Between 28 March and 24 April 2025, Myanmar Witness documented 80 air attack incidents across 12 states of Myanmar, including emergency-declared areas. The incidents documented are mostly potential airstrikes, which only the MAF has the capacity to carry out. 

Myanmar Witness also recorded several paramotor attacks (aerial attacks involving small motorised paragliders). According to an interview with a former military sergeant, conducted by The Irrawaddy, these are increasingly being used by the military as substitutes for aircraft that have reached the end of their operational lifespan. 

Documented incidents from the one-month period are being progressively published in our interactive map, which is actively being updated and may not currently reflect all confirmed entries. 

Incidents range in severity and vary in terms of confidence level, and not all have been fully confirmed or geolocated due to a lack of open source material. But with air attacks documented across 12 different states and regions of Myanmar, and 51 townships impacted, the wide geographical scope of the SAC’s military operations is clear.

Myanmar Witness recorded the highest number of air attack incidents (24) in the Sagaing region, often described as the “epicentre” of Myanmar’s conflict. It was followed by Mandalay, with 14 incidents, then Chin and Kayin, with eight each. 

“Myanmar’s population was already on its knees after years of SAC aggression and armed conflict,” said Robert Dolan, Project Director of Myanmar Witness.

How events unfolded

On 28 March 2025, SAC-controlled media MRTV (link available upon request) reported that the National Disaster Management Committee had declared a State of Emergency for the earthquake-affected areas in Sagaing, Mandalay, Magway, northeastern Shan, Nay Pyi Taw Council Area and Bago, under the Natural Disaster Management Law.

But an airstrike in Nawnghkio, Shan State, reportedly occurred at 12:54 local time that day – just minutes after the earthquake struck. 

Using satellite imagery, Myanmar Witness geolocated images of several damaged buildings, and a crater allegedly caused by the strike, to Nawng Len village [22.2793344, 96.845734]. 

Sentinel-2 false colour satellite imagery of the area shows visible changes captured between 27 March and 30 March, consistent with the claimed date of the incident (28 March).

A timestamped photo shared by MeKong News indicated it was taken at 15:36 local time on 28 March 2025. Cross-checking this with SunCalc revealed that the photographer’s shadow aligned with the expected solar position, making it highly likely that the image was taken at that time. 

Given that the photo was captured at 15:36 local time and the visible damage appears consistent with a recent impact, it can be inferred that the event did not occur long before the photo was taken. Therefore, it cannot be independently verified that the airstrike occurred precisely at 12:54 local time as reported, but it can be considered highly likely.

Monastery bombed

Several incidents assessed as likely airstrikes or heavy weapon attacks took place between 31 March and 1 April 2025, during the national mourning period and just hours before the SAC’s ceasefire began. 

On 1 April, two Meiktila-based MAF fighter jets reportedly dropped four bombs on Indaw Myoma Monastery, Wuntho Township, Sagaing Region, between 12:00 and 13:00 local time. 

The airstrike destroyed the monastery, including its almshouse, the standing Buddha image, and the nearby city hall. According to Lu Htu Khit media, two civilians sheltering in the monastery were killed, and eight others were injured. 

Myanmar Witness geolocated a video of the aftermath at Indaw Myoma Monastery, combined with user-generated content (UGC), which confirms the location and structural damage following the airstrike on 1 April 2025. A composite of satellite imagery and screenshots from ground-level video was used to identify multiple structures damaged during the alleged strike.

Incidents post-ceasefire

The SAC ceasefire followed the earlier ceasefires declared by the National Unity Government (NUG) and the Three Brotherhood Alliance on 29 March and 1 April, respectively. The Kachin Independence Organisation (KIO) also announced a ceasefire on 2 April. On 22 April, the military announced that the 20-day ceasefire had been extended until 30 April. 

Of the 80 air attack incidents documented by Myanmar Witness, 65 were recorded following the SAC’s ceasefire declaration on 2 April.

A village hit twice in one day

Three separate airstrike incidents were documented on 9 April 2025 in Sagaing Region and Chin State. These reportedly resulted in dozens of civilian casualties, including women and children, and significant infrastructure damage. 

Nan Khan village tract, again in Sagaing’s Wuntho township, was reportedly hit twice on 9 April – first at approximately 1500 and again at around 1800 local time. 

Over 20 civilians, including children, were reportedly killed, although the exact number remains unconfirmed at the time of writing. UGC of the damage areas – which Myanmar Witness geolocated and cross-referenced with satellite imagery – is consistent with reports of the two separate airstrikes occurring on the same day.

Challenges in verification and reporting

Assessing the true scale of events is challenging. Several incidents, especially from the post-ceasefire period, remain unconfirmed or categorised as low confidence due to the absence of verifiable UGC. This is partly due to an apparent rise in reporting delays, where information surfaces several days after an incident. 

Since the 2021 coup, internet access has been heavily restricted in regions such as Chin, Kayah and Sagaing, where armed clashes, potential human rights abuses, and earthquake-related displacement are ongoing. Such connectivity issues continue to hinder the availability of timely and reliable reporting from the ground. 

As a result, the actual number of air attack incidents could be even higher. Open source research reveals only the incidents that are documented by eyewitnesses, whilst other organisations using on-the-ground sources have recorded higher numbers. 

Myanmar Witness continues to monitor incidents and gather UGC as it emerges, with documented incidents published in our latest interactive map: Air Attacks in Myanmar since 2025 Earthquake.