At least 24 people were killed and 47 others wounded while protesting against Myanmar’s military government after a motorised paraglider dropped two bombs on the crowd, a spokesperson for the government-in-exile told BBC Burmese. The military attacked on Monday evening as around 100 people gathered in Chaung U township in central Myanmar for a national holiday.

Thousands have died and millions have been displaced since 2021, when the army seized power, triggering a civil war with armed resistance groups and ethnic militias. After losing control of more than half the country, the army is making significant gains again, through an especially bloody campaign of airstrikes and heavy bombardment.

International sanctions over the past few years have made it harder for Myanmar’s military rulers to procure military equipment. However, advanced drones and military technology supplied by China and Russia have given the junta a new edge on the battlefield, according to analysts.