A passenger was injured in a mysterious shooting incident in which the Myanmar military claimed a commercial airplane was attacked while preparing for landing in the Karenni State capital of Loikaw on Friday morning.
In a statement, the junta said that an ATR-72 aircraft carrying 63 passengers and flying a route between Yangon, Naypyitaw and Loikaw was shot at an elevation of more than 3,000 feet during its arrival at the Loikaw Airport at 8:45am. The plane was operating under the state-owned Myanmar National Airlines (MNA).
A male passenger on board suffered an injury to the right side of his face, the military council said, accusing two resistance forces of firing at the aircraft: the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP) and the People’s Defence Force, which have been engaged in intensifying battles with Myanmar’s military throughout the state.
Though the statement said the bullet pierced through the plane before hitting the passenger, at the time of reporting, Myanmar Now is unable to verify how the incident happened.
Photos of the passenger being treated for his injuries circulated on social media on Friday. He was identified as a 27-year-old man who had been travelling from Naypyitaw to Loikaw that morning.
KNPP secretary Khu Daniel told media outlet The Irrawaddy that his organisation was not involved in the alleged shooting, and avoids civilian targets.
Myanmar Now is still contacting the resistance forces active in the area for comment regarding the military accusations.
Following the shooting incident, the army deployed troops near the airport and have been conducting searches in the area, Loikaw locals said.
MNA told BBC Burmese that the bookings for Loikaw-bound flights had been cancelled until further notice and that the customers could request to be reimbursed for purchased tickets.
Since the February 2021 coup, clashes between resistance groups and the Myanmar army have raged across Karenni and neighbouring southern Shan State, with anti-junta forces establishing multiple strongholds in the region.
