Myanmar airport closed following reported drone attack

What the report says

Myanmar’s second-busiest airport, Mandalay’s Tada-U International Airport, was closed on September 11 after the country’s military-backed authorities said they disrupted a reported drone attack. According to Al Jazeera’s report, Myanmar Airways International cancelled all international flights from the airport for September 11 and 12, while domestic services were shifted to another nearby airport for operational reasons.

The state-run Global New Light of Myanmar said security forces intercepted an attack attributed to the People’s Defence Force, a pro-democracy armed movement opposing the military government. The outlet said six suicide drones were fired at the airport, but reported no casualties or damage to vehicles or runways. Al Jazeera noted that local reports suggested resistance forces may have been aiming at military jet fighters, although that could not be independently confirmed.

The incident comes amid Myanmar’s broader civil conflict, which followed the army’s 2021 coup against the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Since then, the country has seen fighting between the military and a range of ethnic and pro-democracy armed groups. The report also noted that both sides have increasingly used drones in the war, which monitoring groups say has already caused extensive loss of life. More generally, the closure highlights how the conflict continues to affect civilian infrastructure and transport.