SAC Airstrikes Kill Six During Thingyan New Year — Pauk Township (Magway) and Sagaing Hit

On April 17 — Myanmar New Year's Day (the second day of the Thingyan Water Festival) — SAC military aircraft carried out airstrikes on Pauk Township in Magway Region and Luthaw Township, killing at least six people. The strikes fell during the height of Thingyan celebrations, the four-day Buddhist New Year festival during which millions of Myanmar's Buddhist population traditionally gather in streets and pagodas. Pauk Township in central Magway has been a contested zone since resistance forces expanded PDF operations from Sagaing southward; junta airstrikes in the area have intensified as PDF forces surround SAC-controlled towns and oil infrastructure. The Thingyan period (April 13–16, 2026) saw some of the highest concentrations of civilian casualties from air attacks in recent months, with the SAC documented striking a monastery (April 13, Sagaing), conducting gyrocopter attacks on villages (April 13, Sagaing), and continuing to bomb populated areas even as displaced populations sought shelter. SAC military operations continued without pause throughout the festival period despite international appeals.