MAE HONG SON — Hundreds of Thai citizens living near the Thailand-Myanmar border in Sob Moei District have been evacuated to safer areas after a Myanmar military aircraft dropped a bomb on their village during airstrikes targeting Karen rebels, according to authorities.

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Informed Thai military sources said Myanmar deployed a Yak-130 and a MiG-29 to carry out air strikes on Karen National Union rebel forces based near the Thai border, close to Ban Mae Sam Laeb on the banks of the Salween River. The sources said nine bombs were dropped by the two jets, but one fell dangerously close to Ban Mae Sam Laeb, a Thai village just across the border from the conflict zone.

The explosion sent villagers scrambling for cover as panic spread through the community. Paramilitary rangers and local officials were immediately dispatched to evacuate residents from the affected area, moving them to safer locations away from the border. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported so far, though the psychological impact on villagers who witnessed the attack is expected to be significant.

MAE HONG SON – Thai villagers along the Salween River in Sob Moei district fled their homes on Monday after a bomb dropped by the Myanmar air force landed inside Thai territory during air strikes against ethnic Karen forces.

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The incident marks a serious escalation of spillover violence from Myanmar’s ongoing civil war, which has seen the military junta engage in increasingly heavy aerial bombardment of rebel positions in border regions. While previous cross-border incidents have included stray bullets and artillery shells landing on Thai soil, this appears to be the first time a bomb dropped by a Myanmar military aircraft has landed so close to a populated Thai village.

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Thai authorities are closely monitoring the situation along the border, and military officials have reportedly lodged a formal protest with Myanmar over the incident. The evacuation of Ban Mae Sam Laeb remains in effect, and residents have been advised not to return until the situation is deemed safe. Further updates are expected as Thai and Myanmar military officials engage in discussions to prevent future violations of Thai airspace and territory.

-Thailand News (TN)