Myanmar Witness reports airstrikes causing child casualties; NUG addresses misconduct claims since 2021

What happened

Independent investigative group Myanmar Witness reported on Tuesday that 85 children have been killed and 129 others injured by military regime forces in 96 incidents across 12 states and regions of Myanmar, excluding Ayeyarwady and Yangon, from September 28, 2025 to April 25, 2026. According to the report, airstrikes by the Burma Air Force were the leading cause of child casualties, accounting for 61 incidents, or 63.5% of the total during the reporting period.

Outside Brief is treating this as a source-led account. Any disputed responsibility, casualty figure, battlefield claim or single-source assertion should be treated as unconfirmed/hearsay unless confirmed by another reliable source or a named official. The Myanmar Witness report further detailed that heavy weapons were involved in 12 recorded incidents (12.5%), drone attacks in eight (8.3%), landmines in six (6.3%), and paramotor and gyrocopter attacks in five (5.2%). Sagaing Region recorded the highest number of these incidents with 23. The incidents occurred both before and after the military regime’s December 2025 to January 2026 election period.

Separately, the National Unity Government (NUG) Home Affairs and Immigration Ministry announced it has investigated over 60 misconduct complaints internally since its establishment in April 2021 following the 2021 coup. These complaints—more than 100 in total—alleged abuse of power, extortion, arbitrary arrests, and sexual misconduct involving members of the NUG’s administrative and defense bodies, including one case involving a senior official in the NUG Prime Minister’s Office.

Known from the source

• Myanmar Witness is an independent investigative group that released a report on September 15, 2026.
• According to Myanmar Witness, 85 children were reportedly killed and 129 injured by military regime forces in 96 incidents.
• The report covers 12 states and regions of Myanmar, excluding Ayeyarwady and Yangon, between September 28, 2025 and April 25, 2026.
• Burma Air Force airstrikes were identified as the most contributing factor in child casualties, involved in 61 of the incidents.
• Other recorded incident types included heavy weapons, drone attacks, landmines, and paramotor/gyrocopter attacks.

What remains unclear

NUG Deputy Minister for Home Affairs and Immigration Kyaw Ni told DVB that they are striving to ensure proper and accurate investigations but did not provide further details on resolved cases or sanctions taken. These internal governance measures come amid continuing conflict and political fragmentation within Myanmar.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Verify casualty figures for children killed and injured and their attribution to military airstrikes from Myanmar Witness. Confirm the breakdown and numbers of different types of military tactics (airstrikes, heavy weapons, drone attacks, landmines, paramotor attacks) appear as stated in the source report. Check details and outcomes of misconduct complaints investigated by the NUG, including any official statements or documentation beyond Kyaw Ni’s comments.

Evidence note

This story contains report-led claims. The article keeps those claims attributed and treats them as unconfirmed/hearsay unless independently corroborated.

Original source: DVB English. Open the source.