Israeli defense firms accused of selling advanced weapons to Myanmar

By Cagri Kusak

ISTANBUL (AA) – Two Israeli defense firms have reportedly sold advanced technology weapons to Myanmar following the military coup in the country.

According to a report in Israel's Haaretz newspaper on Tuesday, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) and Elbit Systems allegedly sold defense systems to the Myanmar government after the military coup until 2022.

The report claimed that IAI sold air defense systems to Myanmar, while Elbit Systems also sold air defense weapons and machine guns during the same period.

The weapons were shipped from Israel's Ashdod Port to Myanmar's Yangon Port, the report said.

Myanmar has been plagued by a spiral of violence and economic crisis since the military toppled an elected government and launched a brutal crackdown on dissent in 2021.

The military takeover triggered mass protests, with the junta's forces killing more than 1,500 people in a crackdown on dissent, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a local monitoring group.