A passenger onboard a Myanmar National Airlines domestic flight suffered facial injuries when a bullet pierced through the aircraft’s cabin as it prepared to land at Loikaw, the capital of eastern Kayah state. The flight had 63 passengers onboard, reported Al Jazeera. The bullet was reportedly shot from the ground and hit the passenger mid-air.
Myanmar government spokesperson major-general Zaw Min Tun on Saturday said the passenger had received treatment in hospital and described the attack on the plane as “a military crime, a criminal act”, reported state-run Global New Light of Myanmar news outlet.
The Junta government has promised to take “serious action” against rebel forces, adding that the bullet damaged the aircraft’s fuselage.
The Sun reported that the aircraft was flying at an altitude of 3,500 feet and around four miles north of the airport. After the incident, the Myanmar National Airlines’ office in Loikaw announced that all flights to the city have been cancelled indefinitely.
A report by The Mirror suggests that the Myanmar government has accused rebel forces in the state of Kayah of firing at the aircraft. However, rebel groups denied the allegation.
Kayah has seen a major conflict between the Junta and local resistance groups since the army seized power last year, overthrowing the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.
