16 killed, 20 injured in junta forces' airstrike on civilian convoy in northwestern Myanmar: Report

By Saadet Gokce

ISTANBUL (AA) – Myanmar junta fighter jets bombed a civilian convoy in a northwestern township, killing 16 people and injuring 20 others, The Irrawaddy reported on Wednesday.

Five junta jets bombed a civilian convoy trapped between junta forces and armed ethnic groups in the Sagaing township on Monday, according to a report on the website run by Burmese exiles in Thailand.

The convoy of trucks was trapped for days near a junction due to clashes along the road between the townships of Sagaing and Shwebo, according to the Sagaing Region armed groups cited by the media outlet.

According to a witness, "The road was crowded with war-displaced people and travelers when the airstrikes began."

The airstrikes also burned at least eight cargo and fuel trucks, and several shops and houses were reported to have been damaged.

Seven bodies were found on Monday and nine more on Tuesday, while troops from Sagaing town marched along the Sagaing-Shwebo road, according to a media outlet citing another unnamed source.