At least 34 civilians were killed and more than 50 injured when an artillery shell struck a crowded market in a rebel-held village in northern Myanmar on Tuesday. The attack, which local resistance groups attribute to the ruling junta, occurred in the village of Loi Kaw, in Shan State, a region contested by ethnic armed organisations and the military. Witnesses described scenes of panic as the shell hit during the busiest trading hour, leaving bodies strewn among collapsed stalls. No independent verification of the death toll has been possible due to restricted access.
The incident comes as the United Kingdom announced a review of sanctions targeting the junta’s arms procurement networks. The review, confirmed by the Foreign Office on Wednesday, seeks to close loopholes that have allowed Myanmar’s military to acquire weapons and dual-use technologies despite existing embargoes. A government spokesperson stated that the UK would “intensify efforts to cut off the financial and material flows that sustain the regime’s violence against its own people.” The new measures are expected to target front companies, intermediary states, and financial conduits used to bypass restrictions.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the February 2021 coup that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The junta has faced widespread armed resistance, with ethnic militias and pro-democracy ‘People’s Defence Forces’ fighting the military on multiple fronts. The conflict has killed thousands and displaced over two million people. The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reported that more than 13 million people now require urgent aid.
Western sanctions have been progressively tightened, but critics argue they have failed to curb the junta’s access to military hardware. A report by the Myanmar Accountability Project released last month documented the use of Chinese-manufactured drones, Thai-sourced aviation fuel, and Russian-imported fighter jet components by the military. The UK’s review aims to target these supply chains, mirroring similar efforts by the United States and the European Union.
The junta has not commented on the Loi Kaw attack, which is reported to have killed women, children, and the elderly. Local medical charities have appealed for emergency supplies, warning that hospitals in rebel areas are overwhelmed. The international community has condemned the escalation of violence. The United Nations special rapporteur on human rights in Myanmar, Tom Andrews, called for an immediate investigation into the bombing, describing it as a “possible war crime.”
Analysts note that the UK’s sanctions review reflects growing frustration with the limitations of existing measures. “The junta has proven adept at rerouting procurement through third countries and using cryptocurrency transactions,” said Dr. James Putzel, professor of political economy at the London School of Economics. “Closing these avenues requires intelligence-sharing with regional partners and more robust enforcement mechanisms.” The Foreign Office has indicated it will work closely with ASEAN states, though diplomatic friction with Thailand and Laos, which host many supply-chain nodes, remains a challenge.
In recent months, the military has intensified aerial and artillery campaigns in Shan, Kachin, and Kayah states. The UN estimates that over 1,200 civilians have been killed by the junta’s forces since the coup, though the actual number is believed to be higher. The Loi Kaw attack is among the deadliest single incidents in 2024.
As the UK reviews its sanctions regime, human rights groups urge immediate action to protect civilians caught in the crossfire. “Every delay in imposing meaningful consequences costs lives,” said a spokesperson for Amnesty International. The junta shows no sign of de-escalation; its forces continue to seize villages and impose arbitrary taxes on communities. Until the international community applies sustained, rigorous pressure, the violence will escalate.”
