The People’s Plight Under Airstrikes

July 1, 2025

Since the junta illegally seized state power on February 1, 2021, resistance against the military regime has escalated across Burma. In response, the junta has repeatedly used brutal force. In areas where armed resistance is strong and the military’s ground-based attacks are no longer viable, junta forces have increasingly resorted to airstrikes into civilian neighborhoods and villages. They are also dropping bombs from paramotors and firing artillery shells into these areas. These are not military targets. The attacks have resulted in civilian death and injury, as well as extensive damage to homes, schools, religious buildings, and farmland and fields, that are vital to local livelihoods. As a result, civilians have been forced to flee their homes and communities in search of safety, causing the number of internally displaced persons to rise. These displaced populations are now facing increasing difficulty acquiring food and emergency healthcare.

According to information collected by the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), from the coup in 2021 to June 30, 2025, (1505) civilians have been confirmed as killed in junta airstrikes nationwide. These are the identities that have been verified. In addition, at least (1349) deaths have also been documented but still require confirmation. The figures are based only on reports where the victims’ names are known—the actual death toll on the ground could be significantly higher.

Data gathered by AAPP shows that among the deaths caused by airstrikes over the five-year period after the coup, Sagaing Region recorded the highest number of fatalities in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2025, while Rakhine State saw the highest death toll in 2024.

Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP)