Myanmar Military Attack Kills Dozens, Including Children, Aid Group Says

At least 38  people, including children, were killed in an attack by Myanmar’s military in a region of the country where resistance groups have been fighting forces from the junta, according to international aid group Save the Children and a local militia that opposes the military.

On Saturday, Save the Children said two of its workers were heading home for the holidays after doing humanitarian work when their vehicle came under attack in Kayah state in eastern Myanmar and was burned. The organization said the military reportedly forced people from their cars, arresting some, killing others and burning their bodies. It said at least 38 people were killed and that its two workers were unaccounted for.

The Southeast Asian country erupted in violence this year, after its military launched a coup in February, seizing control of the government and arresting the country’s democratically elected leaders. The military has made uncorroborated claims of election fraud and has violently suppressed protests to restore democracy. It is also waging campaigns against rebel groups in many regions of the country that are resisting the military with force. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a nonprofit that monitors arrests and fatalities, said that the military has killed more than 1,300 people since seizing power.

Khun Thomas, a spokesman for the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force, a local militia that operates against the military, said the military attack in Kayah state took place on Friday and killed 39 people—35 civilians and, in a separate incident nearby, four militia members. He said that civilians were fleeing a military campaign in the area when many of them were shot. The military then burned their vehicles, he said.

Myanmar’s armed forces offered a different account, saying that some drivers refused to stop their vehicles at a military checkpoint and that people inside the vehicles then began firing at its soldiers, who responded with force. It said the vehicles were burned because they contained provisions to assist the resistance. Military statements provided to local journalists didn’t mention Save the Children staff, and the military didn’t immediately respond to requests for comment about the aid workers. The military didn’t provide its own death count.

Myanmar’s economy deteriorated after the coup, raising concerns about widespread hunger. But humanitarian groups say fighting has limited their ability to reach some of the country’s most vulnerable groups, including displaced civilians.

Save the Children conducts nutrition and education programs across Myanmar.

“We are horrified at the violence carried out against innocent civilians and our staff, who are dedicated humanitarians, supporting millions of children in need across Myanmar,” said Inger Ashing, chief executive of Save the Children. “Investigations into the nature of the incident are continuing, but attacks against aid workers cannot be tolerated.”