Military fires on Chinese aid convoy in Myanmar, rebels say

Soldiers in Myanmar opened fire on a convoy of vehicles carrying relief supplies from the Chinese Red Cross for earthquake victims in the badly hit city of Mandalay, according to a rebel armed group in Myanmar.

The attack was the latest indication that the military, which seized power in a coup four years ago and is fighting a fierce civil war that has caused widespread suffering, would not stop hostilities despite last Friday's devastating earthquake that killed at least 2,700.

In a statement Tuesday night, Myanmar's junta chief, Senior Gen. Min Aung Hlaing, said military operations will continue as "necessary protective measures" despite the earthquake.

The convoy came under attack by military forces using machine guns at 9:21 pm Tuesday at Ummati village in Naung Cho township as it was traveling toward the central city of Mandalay, the Ta'ang National Liberation Army (TNLA) said in a post on its Telegram channel late Tuesday. It did not say how many people were in the convoy or whether there were any fatalities or injuries.

As a result of the attack, the convoy had to retreat to Naung Cho, according to the TNLA. It said that it has stepped in to protect the convoy, ensuring that it continues its journey to deliver aid to those in need.

Myanmar's military and the Red Cross Society of China did not immediately respond to requests for comment. China, which has close relations with Myanmar, was one of the first countries to respond to the earthquake, deploying search-and-rescue teams and sending about $14 million in emergency aid.

In the wake of the disaster, the National Unity Government, the shadow government in exile, and the Three Brotherhood Alliance, made up of three rebel groups including the TNLA, announced ceasefires.

But the army has continued to bomb parts of the country since the disaster. On Tuesday around 5:30 p.m., 38 young trainees of the Kachin Independence Army (KIA), an armed group battling the military in northern Myanmar, were killed in an airstrike in Kachin state, according to Col. Naw Bu, the spokesperson for the KIA.

It is unclear why the Chinese Red Cross vehicles were targeted. But the attack underscores the chaos and challenges of delivering aid in a war zone. Since the coup, 6,476 people, including pro-democracy activists and civilians, have been killed by the junta and pro-military groups, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, an advocacy group.

In recent days, international aid groups such as the World Food Program and UNICEF have entered Mandalay and the neighboring war-torn region of Sagaing, a stronghold of the resistance where desperate people say food and water are running out fast.

But locals in both places have said their attempts to help with search and rescue have been stymied by the military, which has blocked them from entering collapsed buildings and imposed curfews.