A Myanmar National Airlines passenger plane came under gunfire as it was landing at Kayah State's Loikaw Airport on Friday morning.
One passenger was shot in the gunfire and his condition is currently unknown, as reported by Radio Free Asia. The aircraft was flying into the city of Loikaw, Myanmar, carrying 63 people.
The injured passenger was reportedly shot through the cheek today as bullets passed through the fuselage of an ATR 72. The passenger is currently receiving treatment at Loikaw People's Hospital.
Images went viral on social media showing a bloody seat with some pieces of tissue paper and bandage. There was also what looked like a bullet hole in the plane's floor.
No other casualties have been reported. However, passengers were frightened for their lives when touching down in the capital of Kayah State.
Plane Shot at by Rebels, Claims Military
Myanmar's military junta said in a statement that the aircraft was flying from the country's capital, Naypyidaw. As it landed, it received shelling at a height of approximately 1,000 m (3,280 ft), about (3.7 mi) north of Loikaw Airport. The junta has blamed the anti-junta militia and the Karenni National Progressive Party for the attack.
The Myanmar military council said the Karenni National Progressive Party and the Karenni regional People's Defense Force shot at the plane as it was descending. Myanmar National Airlines said that all flights to Loikaw have been indefinitely postponed after the shooting.
Myanmar has been under military rule following a coup d'état in February 2021. As a result, there has been widespread unrest across the nation over the last 19 months. The ongoing civil war has seen thousands killed, and the conflict continues to take its toll on the country.
