Mandalay International Airport Closed After Reported Drone Attack by Rebel Groups

Flight operations at Myanmar’s second-busiest airport have been halted following reports of a drone attack, with the country’s military-backed government accusing rebel groups of attempting to strike the facility. Mandalay International Airport was closed on September 11 amid the security incident.

Myanmar Airways International announced on its Facebook page late on Thursday that all international flights departing from Mandalay’s Tada-U International Airport on September 11 and 12 have been cancelled. Additionally, domestic flights are being redirected to a nearby airport until further notice for operational reasons.

According to the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar, security forces successfully thwarted an attack on the airport orchestrated by the People’s Defence Force. The pro-democracy rebel group allegedly launched six suicide drones at the facility. State media reported that while the incident caused temporary disruptions to some domestic flights, there were no casualties or damage reported to vehicles or airport runways.

Meanwhile, local media indicated that resistance forces were aiming their attacks at military jet fighters located at the airport, though these claims remain unverified by independent news agencies. Myanmar has faced severe conflict since the ousting of the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi during the February 2021 coup, which triggered a nationwide civil war involving the military and various armed ethnic and pro-democracy groups.

In April, Min Aung Hlaing was elected president by a military-backed parliament, further solidifying his control following years of army rule. The United Nations recently reported that human rights conditions in Myanmar have fallen to a new low, highlighting the brutal abuse of the Rohingya minority and the expansion of illicit economic activities such as illegal rare earth mining. Amid the ongoing civil war, which has claimed more than 100,000 lives according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project, both the military and rebel factions increasingly rely on drone technology.