A former Myanmar general who survived an airstrike in Rakhine State accused the government military of deliberately bombing a prisoner camp holding its own soldiers, resulting in at least 116 government soldiers killed.
On 13 March 2026, former Brigadier General Tong Tun, who survived the attack on 8 March, told local media that the airstrike on the prisoner camp in Rakhine State, which caused many government soldier casualties, was a deliberate attack by the Myanmar military, fully aware they were bombing their own troops. The military jets attacked the prisoner camp controlled by the Arakan ethnic armed forces in the Tharlat Chaung area for more than three and a half hours.
According to reports, four fighter jets and four Y-12 aircraft dropped bombs continuously starting around 11:00 a.m., killing at least 116 government soldiers, including one general and several lieutenant colonels. The dead included Brigadier General Myin Shwe of the Myanmar military, military doctors, and many senior officers. Additionally, some civilian prisoners died, and at least 32 people were injured.
Tong Tun, who formerly served as deputy commander of the Western Command in Ann city, said that in the weeks before the incident, the military had conducted multiple reconnaissance flights over the camp, making it nearly impossible for the military not to know the area was used as a prison.
However, analysts view the attack on the prisoner camp as a tactic to intimidate government soldiers, signaling that surrender to opposition forces would not be accepted. Since losing significant territory in Rakhine State, the Myanmar military has often used airstrikes against opposition-controlled areas, including prisoner camps, schools, hospitals, and civilian communities.
Source: Irawaddy