SAC Drones Kill 8 Civilians Including 3 Children in Karenni State and Magway — Novice Monk Among Dead

Myanmar's military junta conducted drone strikes on April 25–26, 2026 that killed at least eight civilians across two regions, including three children and a novice monk, in the latest documented episode of the SAC's counter-civilian aerial campaign. In Nanmaikone Township, Karenni State (formerly Kayah State), a SAC suicide drone strike killed five civilians including two men and a 19-year-old woman who died from her injuries. In Yesagyo Township, Magway Region, a separate drone strike killed three children: an 8-year-old, a 15-year-old, and a 16-year-old novice monk. These strikes occurred just days after the junta's martial law expansion on April 24-25 across 60 townships — including multiple townships in Karenni State and Magway Region — and coincide with the conclusion of China FM Wang Yi's visit to Naypyidaw, which produced pledges of continued Chinese security support for the SAC. The Nanmaikone and Yesagyo strikes continue a documented pattern: since the junta's parliament convened on March 16, 2026, the SAC has killed over 100 civilians through airstrikes across Myanmar (documented by The Irrawaddy on April 24). The killing of a novice monk in Yesagyo is particularly significant — monks killed by the SAC have repeatedly triggered mass public outrage in Myanmar. SAC drone strikes have intensified in 2025-2026, with ACLED documenting 931 drone attack incidents since the coup, increasingly targeting civilians in areas without active resistance presence.