Myanmar accused of attack that killed 20 people, US speaks out

Naypyidaw [Myanmar], October 9: Reuters today, October 9, quoted several sources confirming that at least 20 people were killed in the latest attack by the Myanmar military government in the Sagaing region.
A 30-year-old protester was taking part in a demonstration against Myanmar's military government on a festival day in the Sagaing region of central Myanmar on October 6 when he heard the distinctive sound of propeller blades cutting through the air, Reuters reported today, October 9.
Minutes later, explosives were dropped from a powered paraglider, also known as a paramotor. "At first, I thought my entire lower body had been severed. I touched it and realized my legs were still there."
The attack occurred in the town of Chaung-U in Sagaing just before 8 p.m. on October 6 (local time), when local people gathered in a field, Reuters reported, citing witnesses and a spokesman for an armed group against the local government.
"The military has used paragliders to bomb the area about six times before this latest incident," Ko Thant, an information officer with the Chaung-U Township People's Defence Force, told Reuters. The People's Defence Force is the armed wing of the opposition group the National Unity Government in Myanmar.
Reuters today quoted information from witnesses, Amnesty International, the Government of National Unity and an armed resistance group in Sagaing saying that at least 20 people were killed in the paramotor attack on October 6 by Myanmar's military government.
A US State Department spokesman said the department was concerned by reports of the attack. "We call on the military government to end violence and attacks on civilians, release all unjustly detained prisoners, allow unhindered humanitarian access, and begin a genuine dialogue with opposition groups," the spokesman said, according to Reuters.
A spokesman for Myanmar's military junta did not respond to calls seeking comment. The Myanmar military has previously denied allegations of targeting civilians.
Source: Thanh Nien Newspaper