The Tatmadaw, Myanmar’s military junta, deployed four drones to bomb the headquarters of Brigade 7 of the Karen National Union (KNU), the military branch of the Karen National Liberation Army (KNLA), located in Hpa-an District, Karen State, near the Mei River, across from Thailand’s Mae Salit Luang Village in Tha Song Yang District, Tak Province. The attack began around 10:00 AM on October 22, 2024.
No clear reports of casualties or deaths have emerged so far. Following this, the Tatmadaw also bombed two additional KNLA posts.
Brigade 7 is a significant strategic post for KNU. This also marks the first attack on KNU’s headquarters in 15 years, as the area is considered a safe zone for the Karen ethnic group, allowing visitors to attend KNU activities or ceremonies, such as drills and visits to the Karen Martyrs Museum. In the past, during the Thai government’s humanitarian missions, the KNU offered this area as a passage to assist those affected by the unrest in Myanmar’s civil war; however, Thai authorities declined the KNU’s offer.
Although the attack did not cause substantial damage to the KNLA/ KNU, analysts who wished to remain anonymous believe that Tatmadaw’s decision to conduct a drone strike in this area signals that fighting will intensify once the rainy season concludes.
Not long before the attack, the Myanmar junta and the Thai government requested the KNU to open the Asia-Kawkariek route for transporting export goods from Thailand to Myanmar. However, the KNU denied this request and proposed an alternative route, Mae Salit Luang-Hlaingbwe, which may have dissatisfied the Myanmar junta. Consequently, Tatmadaw launched military operations to imply that this route is also under threat.
“KNU’s Brigade 7 has been a safe zone for a long time because it is situated in a narrow landscape near the Mei River, parallel to Taw Naw Mountain, which protects the area from air attacks by the Tatmadaw, as fighter jets must enter from Thailand’s airspace. However, drone attacks have become a prevalent tactic in recent conflicts in Myanmar. This time, the Tatmadaw utilized drones in a kamikaze-style attack, targeting objectives and then self-destructing,” analysts noted.