Karen Human Rights Group

Kler Lwee Htoo District Incident Report: SAC air strike caused casualties, including a child, and destruction in Moo Township (April 2025)

This photo was taken by a local authority on April 28th 2025. This photo shows the bodies of Ma G---, U K---, and Ma C---, all of whom were killed by the SAC air strike on Aa--- village, Kanyin Tan village tract, Moo special area, Moo (Mone) Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District, on April 28th 2025. [Photo: local authority]

 

Part 1 – Incident Details

Type of Incident

 Air strike by the SAC [State Administration Council][2] caused casualties and destruction.

Date of Incident(s)

April 28th 2025

Incident Location

(Village, Township and District)

Aa--- village, Kanyin Tan village tract[3], Moo special area[4], Moo (Mone) Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District.

Victim(s) Information

Name

Ma[5] G---

Ma C---

U[6] K---

U H---

Ma B---

Age

44 years old

50 years old

40 years old

53 years old

1 year and 8 months old

Gender

Woman

Woman

Man

Man

Girl

Ethnicity

Bamar[7]

Bamar

Bamar

Bamar

Bamar

Marital Status  

Married

Single

Married

Married

-

Occupation

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Farmer

-

Religion

Buddhist

Buddhist

Buddhist

Buddhist

-

Position

[Villager]

[Villager]

[Villager]

[Villager]

[Villager]

Village

Aa--- village

Aa--- village

Aa--- village

Aa--- village

Aa--- village

Type of Aircraft

Unit

Base

Commander’s Name

Fighter jet

Burma [SAC Air Force]

N/A

Min Aung Hlaing[8] [General Htun Aung serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Burma SAC Air Force]

 

Part 2 - Information Quality

1. Explain in detail how this information was collected.

A KNU [Karen National Union[9]] local authority from Moo special area, named Saw[10] J---, informed me [a KHRG researcher] about the incident. He asked me [a KHRG researcher] to go to his place [his office in Ywa Ma Gyi village tract, Moo Special area], after which he transported me to the incident place. I [a KHRG researcher] also met with the victims’ families who witnessed the incident and conducted interviews with them. [The researcher interviewed two villagers: the father of the deceased victim Ma G---, and one of the injured victims, U H---].

2. Explain how the source verified this information.

Regarding this incident, when Saw J--- [a local authority from Moo special area] was in his office, he heard that an air strike was conducted on Aa--- village.  He contacted the villagers, and they informed him about the incident. He went to the incident place immediately to verify the incident. After that, he contacted a KHRG researcher, and the KHRG researcher met the victims’ family to document the information related to the incident.

 

Part 3 – Complete Description of the Incident

Describe the Incident(s) in complete detail.

On April 28th 2025, around 10:15 am, an SAC fighter jet dropped two bombs onto Aa--- village, Kanyin Tan village tract, Moo special area, Moo (Mone) Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District. One of the bombs landed and exploded in the village, and another bomb landed outside the village and remained unexploded. As a result, two houses of Aa--- villagers, owned by Ko[11] I--- and Ma C---, were destroyed. Additionally, four houses owned by U N---, U H---, Ma G---, and U S--- were damaged by the explosion of the bombs. Moreover, three villagers from Aa--- village were killed [by the air strike]:

  • Ma G---, who was 44 years old, was hit on her head and killed;
  • U K---, who was 40 years old, was hit on the bladder and killed;
  • Ma C---, who was 50 years old, was hit on the belly and killed.

 

[Ma G--- was killed while she was cleaning her house, U K--- was killed while he was using his phone on his hammock under the stilted house, and Ma C--- was killed at her house while she was reading the Tripitaka (a book of Buddhist scriptures)]

 

In addition, a 1-year-and-8-month-old girl named Ma B--- was also lightly injured on her face, below her right eye. Her grandfather, U H---, was also injured on his leg. [Due to insufficient medicines in the hospitals,] she [Ma B---] was transported to an SAC-run hospital in Phyu Town, then transferred to a hospital in Taw Oo Town, Taw Oo District, and then finally transferred once more to a hospital in Yangon [city]. The family paid for her transportation and treatment themselves. It cost 300,000 kyats [142.86 USD][12] for transportation to the hospital and another 60,000–70,0000 kyats [28.57 USD-33.33 USD] for treatment costs.

 

U H---, one of the injured victims, explained: “On that day [April 28th 2025], my sister [Ma C---] was reading the Tripitaka [a book of Buddhist scriptures] and I was drawing pictures with my granddaughter, [Ma B---,] who was to be injured. The aircraft came from the west and flew around the village. So, I said to her [Ma C---], ‘Sister, the situation is not good. Let’s enter into the bunker.’ Then, she took off her glasses and looked at me. I continued to say, ‘Sister, the situation is getting worse, don’t read the Tripitaka, let’s enter [into the bunker].’ After a few seconds, before we reached the makeshift bunker, the bomb [landed and] exploded and everything went dark [the smoke from the bomb covered everything]. Luckily, I was able to lie prone on the ground [to avoid the air strike] on time, so I did not die. But I was injured on my leg. When I was injured, I felt burning all over my body. After that, my wife was standing beside the wall and told me, ‘Call Ma C---’. I replied to her, ‘We do not need to call her anymore because the bomb landed on her house. We cannot even be sure that we will get [to see] her body or not’. Also, my granddaughter [Ma B---] was injured by the shrapnel. I did not see the blood [Ma B---’s blood] while I was inside [the house]. When I went out [from the house], I saw the blood. So, I cried and shouted for help and took her to the medic P---’s house. Then, the medic provided her medicine. At first, I thought only my sister [Ma C---] was killed, but later we realised that Ma G--- and U K--- were also killed. At that time, I felt very upset.”  [P--- is a medic from the People’s Defence Force (PDF)[13]]

 

Regarding the air strike, the villagers [from Aa--- village] were injured and killed because the villagers were not aware that the [SAC’s] fighter jet was going to conduct an air strike. Ma G---’s father, U L---, stated: “An air strike has not happened like this before. On that day, the fighting was happening to the south [of the village, about one hour away by motorbike], but I did not know exactly where. [The SAC] aircraft went to that place and conducted air strikes. In the past, aircraft used to come like this [only striking in fighting areas], so we were careless. We thought the aircraft went there because fighting had occurred. Then, at around 10:15 am, an aircraft conducted an air strike onto the village.” U L--- continued: “On that day, my daughter, Ma G---, said she was going back to her house and clean. […] At around 10:15 am, an aircraft came and conducted an air strike on the village. She [Ma G---] was hit on her head, and her head was smashed open.”

 

After this incident, whenever the villagers heard the sound of aircraft, they felt panicked and worried that the aircraft would conduct an air strike [again]. So, they fled the village to avoid the danger of aircraft [carrying out another air strike]. After the incident, some villagers from the village relocated to Ac--- village (in Nyaung Pin Tha village tract, Moo special area) and Phyu Town because they were worried that the aircraft would conduct an air strike on Aa--- village again. However, sometimes they [villagers] returned to their houses and workplaces. Some of the villagers did not relocate because they have a lot of properties [to take care of]. Therefore, they made makeshift bunkers and slept in there.

 

Part 4 - Permission for Using the Details

Did the victim(s) provide permission to use this information? Explain how that permission was provided.

I [a KHRG researcher] conducted an interview with the victims’ families [U L---, who is the victim’s (Ma G---) father and U H---, who is a victim, and also a family member of the killed and injured villagers], and asked permission from them [victims’ families] to use and publish it [their information]. They allowed us [KHRG] to use and publish it.

 

 

                    

 

 

Further background reading on the situation of air strikes in Kler Lwee Htoo District in Southeast Burma/Myanmar can be found in the following KHRG reports:

  • ကဘီယူၤဟဲလံ Aircraft coming! : Impacts of air strikes on local communities and villagers’ protection strategies in Southeast Burma since the 2021 coup. November 2024.
  • “Kler Lwee Htoo District Incident Report: An SAC air strike on a school injured a villager in Hsaw Htee Township, May 2025.” November 2025
  • “Kler Lwee Htoo District Short Update: SAC drone strikes and indiscriminate shelling caused casualties, destruction, and livelihood and education challenges in Ler Doh Township (November to December 2024).” March 2025
 

Kler Lwee Htoo District Incident Report: SAC air strike caused casualties, including a child, and destruction in Moo Township (April 2025)

, ,

The two photos on the top were taken by a local authority on April 28th 2025. These photos show the destruction to the houses of Ma C--- (top left) and Ko I--- (top right) caused by the SAC air strike on Aa--- village, Kanyin Tan village tract, Moo special area, Moo (Mone) Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District, on April 28th 2025. The photo on the bottom left was taken by a KHRG researcher in May 2025. The photo shows the damage to Ma G---’s house as a result of the SAC air strike. [Photos: KHRG / local authority]

 

Part 1 – Incident Details

Type of Incident

 Air strike by the SAC [State Administration Council][2] caused casualties and destruction.

Date of Incident(s)

April 28th 2025

Incident Location

(Village, Township and District)

Aa--- village, Kanyin Tan village tract[3], Moo special area[4], Moo (Mone) Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District.

Victim(s) Information

Name

Ma[5] G---

Ma C---

U[6] K---

U H---

Ma B---

Age

44 years old

50 years old

40 years old

53 years old

1 year and 8 months old

Gender

Woman

Woman

Man

Man

Girl

Ethnicity

Bamar[7]

Bamar

Bamar

Bamar

Bamar

Marital Status  

Married

Single

Married

Married

-

Occupation

Unknown

Unknown

Unknown

Farmer

-

Religion

Buddhist

Buddhist

Buddhist

Buddhist

-

Position

[Villager]

[Villager]

[Villager]

[Villager]

[Villager]

Village

Aa--- village

Aa--- village

Aa--- village

Aa--- village

Aa--- village

Type of Aircraft

Unit

Base

Commander’s Name

Fighter jet

Burma [SAC Air Force]

N/A

Min Aung Hlaing[8] [General Htun Aung serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Burma SAC Air Force]

 

Part 2 - Information Quality

1. Explain in detail how this information was collected.

A KNU [Karen National Union[9]] local authority from Moo special area, named Saw[10] J---, informed me [a KHRG researcher] about the incident. He asked me [a KHRG researcher] to go to his place [his office in Ywa Ma Gyi village tract, Moo Special area], after which he transported me to the incident place. I [a KHRG researcher] also met with the victims’ families who witnessed the incident and conducted interviews with them. [The researcher interviewed two villagers: the father of the deceased victim Ma G---, and one of the injured victims, U H---].

2. Explain how the source verified this information.

Regarding this incident, when Saw J--- [a local authority from Moo special area] was in his office, he heard that an air strike was conducted on Aa--- village.  He contacted the villagers, and they informed him about the incident. He went to the incident place immediately to verify the incident. After that, he contacted a KHRG researcher, and the KHRG researcher met the victims’ family to document the information related to the incident.

 

Part 3 – Complete Description of the Incident

Describe the Incident(s) in complete detail.

On April 28th 2025, around 10:15 am, an SAC fighter jet dropped two bombs onto Aa--- village, Kanyin Tan village tract, Moo special area, Moo (Mone) Township, Kler Lwee Htoo District. One of the bombs landed and exploded in the village, and another bomb landed outside the village and remained unexploded. As a result, two houses of Aa--- villagers, owned by Ko[11] I--- and Ma C---, were destroyed. Additionally, four houses owned by U N---, U H---, Ma G---, and U S--- were damaged by the explosion of the bombs. Moreover, three villagers from Aa--- village were killed [by the air strike]:

  • Ma G---, who was 44 years old, was hit on her head and killed;
  • U K---, who was 40 years old, was hit on the bladder and killed;
  • Ma C---, who was 50 years old, was hit on the belly and killed.

 

[Ma G--- was killed while she was cleaning her house, U K--- was killed while he was using his phone on his hammock under the stilted house, and Ma C--- was killed at her house while she was reading the Tripitaka (a book of Buddhist scriptures)]

 

In addition, a 1-year-and-8-month-old girl named Ma B--- was also lightly injured on her face, below her right eye. Her grandfather, U H---, was also injured on his leg. [Due to insufficient medicines in the hospitals,] she [Ma B---] was transported to an SAC-run hospital in Phyu Town, then transferred to a hospital in Taw Oo Town, Taw Oo District, and then finally transferred once more to a hospital in Yangon [city]. The family paid for her transportation and treatment themselves. It cost 300,000 kyats [142.86 USD][12] for transportation to the hospital and another 60,000–70,0000 kyats [28.57 USD-33.33 USD] for treatment costs.

 

U H---, one of the injured victims, explained: “On that day [April 28th 2025], my sister [Ma C---] was reading the Tripitaka [a book of Buddhist scriptures] and I was drawing pictures with my granddaughter, [Ma B---,] who was to be injured. The aircraft came from the west and flew around the village. So, I said to her [Ma C---], ‘Sister, the situation is not good. Let’s enter into the bunker.’ Then, she took off her glasses and looked at me. I continued to say, ‘Sister, the situation is getting worse, don’t read the Tripitaka, let’s enter [into the bunker].’ After a few seconds, before we reached the makeshift bunker, the bomb [landed and] exploded and everything went dark [the smoke from the bomb covered everything]. Luckily, I was able to lie prone on the ground [to avoid the air strike] on time, so I did not die. But I was injured on my leg. When I was injured, I felt burning all over my body. After that, my wife was standing beside the wall and told me, ‘Call Ma C---’. I replied to her, ‘We do not need to call her anymore because the bomb landed on her house. We cannot even be sure that we will get [to see] her body or not’. Also, my granddaughter [Ma B---] was injured by the shrapnel. I did not see the blood [Ma B---’s blood] while I was inside [the house]. When I went out [from the house], I saw the blood. So, I cried and shouted for help and took her to the medic P---’s house. Then, the medic provided her medicine. At first, I thought only my sister [Ma C---] was killed, but later we realised that Ma G--- and U K--- were also killed. At that time, I felt very upset.”  [P--- is a medic from the People’s Defence Force (PDF)[13]]

 

Regarding the air strike, the villagers [from Aa--- village] were injured and killed because the villagers were not aware that the [SAC’s] fighter jet was going to conduct an air strike. Ma G---’s father, U L---, stated: “An air strike has not happened like this before. On that day, the fighting was happening to the south [of the village, about one hour away by motorbike], but I did not know exactly where. [The SAC] aircraft went to that place and conducted air strikes. In the past, aircraft used to come like this [only striking in fighting areas], so we were careless. We thought the aircraft went there because fighting had occurred. Then, at around 10:15 am, an aircraft conducted an air strike onto the village.” U L--- continued: “On that day, my daughter, Ma G---, said she was going back to her house and clean. […] At around 10:15 am, an aircraft came and conducted an air strike on the village. She [Ma G---] was hit on her head, and her head was smashed open.”

 

After this incident, whenever the villagers heard the sound of aircraft, they felt panicked and worried that the aircraft would conduct an air strike [again]. So, they fled the village to avoid the danger of aircraft [carrying out another air strike]. After the incident, some villagers from the village relocated to Ac--- village (in Nyaung Pin Tha village tract, Moo special area) and Phyu Town because they were worried that the aircraft would conduct an air strike on Aa--- village again. However, sometimes they [villagers] returned to their houses and workplaces. Some of the villagers did not relocate because they have a lot of properties [to take care of]. Therefore, they made makeshift bunkers and slept in there.

 

Part 4 - Permission for Using the Details

Did the victim(s) provide permission to use this information? Explain how that permission was provided.

I [a KHRG researcher] conducted an interview with the victims’ families [U L---, who is the victim’s (Ma G---) father and U H---, who is a victim, and also a family member of the killed and injured villagers], and asked permission from them [victims’ families] to use and publish it [their information]. They allowed us [KHRG] to use and publish it.

 

 

                    

 

 

Further background reading on the situation of air strikes in Kler Lwee Htoo District in Southeast Burma/Myanmar can be found in the following KHRG reports:

  • ကဘီယူၤဟဲလံ Aircraft coming! : Impacts of air strikes on local communities and villagers’ protection strategies in Southeast Burma since the 2021 coup. November 2024.
  • “Kler Lwee Htoo District Incident Report: An SAC air strike on a school injured a villager in Hsaw Htee Township, May 2025.” November 2025
  • “Kler Lwee Htoo District Short Update: SAC drone strikes and indiscriminate shelling caused casualties, destruction, and livelihood and education challenges in Ler Doh Township (November to December 2024).” March 2025