UN investigators report Myanmar military increased air attacks and abuses before election

What happened

The United Nations Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) reported on August 11 that Myanmar’s military intensified air attacks on civilians in the lead-up to the December 2025-January 2026 election, while all sides in the civil war committed war crimes and serious abuses, including torture and sexual violence, over the past year.

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 IIMM investigation, covering abuses since 2011 and including the 2017 crackdown on the Rohingya, found the frequency and severity of such crimes have increased. The mechanism documented a pattern of deliberate aerial assaults on civilian homes, schools, medical and religious facilities, and camps for internally displaced persons, with a pronounced escalation just before the military-managed election.

The report highlights the military’s use of low-cost paramotors, gyrocopters, and drones for low-altitude strikes employing unguided explosives. In Sagaing Region, pilots reportedly cut engines to glide silently before attacks, reducing civilian warning. These tactics illustrate evolving military methods to intensify violence against civilians.

Known from the source

• The UN’s Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) released a report on August 11, 2026.
• Myanmar military stepped up aerial attacks on civilians before the December 2025-January 2026 election.
• All sides in Myanmar’s civil war committed war crimes and serious abuses including torture and sexual violence in the past year.
• The military used paramotors, gyrocopters, and drones for low-altitude strikes with unguided explosives.
• Pilots reportedly cut engines before attacks in Sagaing Region to reduce civilian warning.

What remains unclear

Additionally, the IIMM investigated extensive evidence of arbitrary detention, torture, and conflict-related sexual violence inside military detention centers, including deaths in custody. It also examines allegations of sexual violence by armed resistance groups, who have not publicly responded to the report. The civil war since the 2021 coup has caused around 100,000 deaths and displaced millions, with tens of thousands detained.

What remains unclear: Confirm whether the central claim is corroborated; until then treat it as unconfirmed/hearsay. Casualty and displacement figures stated by the report and other sources. Verification of the use of paramotors, gyrocopters, and drones in specific attacks. Independent confirmation of the military’s responsibility for the airstrikes prior to the election.

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.