Key Highlights:
- Myanmar Junta Paramotor Attack kills at least 24 civilians and wounds 47+ during Thadingyut Festival celebration in Chaung-U township
- Military deploys motorized paragliders systematically since December 2024, conducting seventh Myanmar Junta Paramotor Attack in same region
- UN documents 6,231 civilian deaths since 2021 coup, with paramotors becoming preferred weapon for targeting resistance-controlled areas
Opening Overview
The latest Myanmar Junta Paramotor Attack on October 7, 2025, represents a horrifying escalation in the regime’s systematic targeting of civilian gatherings during religious celebrations. At least 24 people were killed and 47 wounded when a motorized paraglider dropped two bombs on a crowd celebrating the Thadingyut Buddhist Festival in Chaung-U township, Sagaing region. This Myanmar Junta Paramotor Attack occurred during what locals described as both a religious festival and peaceful anti-government demonstration, highlighting the regime’s ruthless strategy of terrorizing civilian populations.
Witnesses of the Myanmar Junta Paramotor Attack described hearing the distinctive chainsaw-like sound of motorized paragliders before explosives were dropped directly onto the center of the gathering. One survivor recounted being “thrown away” by the blast, initially believing his lower body had been severed before realizing his legs remained intact. The systematic nature of this Myanmar Junta Paramotor Attack reflects the military’s broader campaign of using terror tactics as their territorial control continues eroding nationwide.
Paramotor Warfare: Myanmar’s New Weapon of Terror
The Myanmar Junta Paramotor Attack in Chaung-U township demonstrates how these motorized paragliders have become central to the regime’s counterinsurgency strategy since their first deployment in December 2024. According to Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) analysis, this represents the seventh Myanmar Junta Paramotor Attack in the same area, with the military having previously bombed the region six times using these aircraft.
- Paramotors cost significantly less than fighter jets while offering precision strikes with small explosives
- These single-seat aircraft can drop 120-mm mortar rounds indiscriminately in populated areas
- Resistance groups have yet to successfully shoot down a single paramotor, making them increasingly attractive to the military
ACLED Senior Analyst Su Mon explains that paramotors are “generally used in areas with mixed control or where resistance factions possess limited resources such as access to 7.62 cartridges and weaponry needed to shoot them down”. The Myanmar Junta Paramotor Attack strategy allows the military to maintain pressure across multiple fronts despite resource constraints caused by international sanctions.
Data shows the military conducted 1,134 airstrikes between January and May 2025, dramatically higher than 197 in 2023 and 640 in 2024. This escalation coincides with the Myanmar Junta Paramotor Attack becoming a preferred tactic as conventional aircraft face greater risks in resistance-controlled territories.
Sagaing Region: Epicenter of Military Atrocities
The location of this Myanmar Junta Paramotor Attack underscores Sagaing region’s position as the deadliest battleground in Myanmar’s civil war. UN data reveals Sagaing has recorded the highest number of airstrikes and civilian casualties nationwide since the 2021 military coup, making it a frequent target for Myanmar Junta Paramotor Attack operations.
- Between March-May 2025, over 108 airstrikes were reported in Sagaing, killing at least 89 people
- The region accounts for 3,185 conflict-related fatalities according to 2024 ACLED data
- Substantial areas remain under People’s Defense Force control, prompting repeated Myanmar Junta Paramotor Attack incidents
The targeting of the Thadingyut Festival gathering reflects the junta’s deliberate strategy of attacking civilian infrastructure and religious celebrations to terrorize populations. UN Human Rights Office documentation shows the military systematically targets markets, schools, homes, places of worship, and camps for displaced persons. This Myanmar Junta Paramotor Attack fits the pattern of strikes having “no discernible military objective” that UN officials characterize as potential war crimes.
Witnesses described the devastating aftermath of the Myanmar Junta Paramotor Attack, with one organizer stating “Children were completely torn apart” and that they were “still collecting body parts from the ground – pieces of flesh, limbs, parts of bodies that were blown apart”. The carnage made victim identification extremely difficult, highlighting the indiscriminate nature of Myanmar Junta Paramotor Attack tactics.
International Response and Escalating Crisis
The Myanmar Junta Paramotor Attack occurs amid unprecedented humanitarian devastation, with 19.9 million people requiring aid in 2025. Amnesty International condemned this Myanmar Junta Paramotor Attack as part of a “disturbing trend,” with researcher Joe Freeman stating it “should serve as a gruesome wake-up call that civilians in Myanmar need urgent protection”.
Official casualty statistics paint a grim picture of violence intensity. The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners documents at least 6,231 civilian deaths since February 2021, with 2024 proving the deadliest year at 1,824 civilian casualties. Nearly half of verified civilian deaths between April 2024 and May 2025 resulted from aerial attacks like this Myanmar Junta Paramotor Attack.
| Attack Type | 2023 Deaths | 2024 Deaths | 2025 Deaths (Jan-May) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Airstrikes | 197 incidents | 640 incidents | 1,134 incidents |
| Paramotor Attacks | 0 | First recorded Dec 2024 | 8+ documented |
| Total Civilian Deaths | Data unavailable | 1,824 | 800+ estimated |
The conflict has driven displacement to catastrophic levels, with over 3.5 million internally displaced persons by end-2024, representing a 72% increase in one year. International sanctions have limited the regime’s access to conventional military equipment, inadvertently driving increased reliance on Myanmar Junta Paramotor Attack tactics.
Military Decline and Desperate Tactics
The Myanmar Junta Paramotor Attack represents desperate measures by a regime facing unprecedented territorial losses. Current assessments suggest the junta controls only 21% of Myanmar’s territory, while resistance forces hold 42%. This dramatic shift explains the military’s increasing dependence on Myanmar Junta Paramotor Attack operations to maintain pressure across multiple fronts.
ACLED data shows resistance groups captured 277 towns and bases from the military in the first 11 months of 2024, compared to just 62 locations in all of 2023. Major advances have occurred across multiple fronts, with ethnic armies and People’s Defense Forces demonstrating growing capabilities by shooting down helicopters, sinking navy boats, and seizing heavy weaponry.
The regime implemented mandatory conscription in February 2024 to address severe personnel shortages, but this backfired by driving tens of thousands into hiding or exile. The Myanmar Junta Paramotor Attack thus represents not strength but actions of a regime resorting to terror tactics as conventional military capabilities deteriorate.
Closing Assessment
The Myanmar Junta Paramotor Attack in Sagaing epitomizes the regime’s transformation into a terrorist organization willing to massacre civilians attending religious festivals. As territorial control slips away, the military’s response has been intensifying atrocities rather than seeking political solutions, with Myanmar Junta Paramotor Attack becoming a preferred weapon of terror.
The systematic deployment of paramotors against civilian gatherings, combined with targeting of religious festivals, schools, and displacement camps, constitutes clear evidence of war crimes requiring international accountability. This Myanmar Junta Paramotor Attack stands as stark reminder that without decisive international intervention, the regime will continue escalating violence as it fights a losing battle for legitimacy. The survivor’s words capture the urgency: “This is mass murder, they are committing it openly”. The Myanmar Junta Paramotor Attack demands immediate action to protect Myanmar’s civilian population from further atrocities.
