YANGON: Bombs inside parcels exploded at Mya­nm­ar’s biggest jail on Wednesday prompting soldiers to return fire in a confrontation in which at least eight people were killed, state media and a witness said.

An armed anti-junta group claimed responsibility for the attack at Insein Prison in a statement posted on social media, saying it was “retaliation against (junta chief) Min Aung Hlaing”. “Today...the Special Task Agency of Burma (STA), carried out two attacks to execute the prison head. We’re retaliating against Min Aung Hlaing and...the prison officers for continuously oppressing our revolution comrades,” it said.

State-owned MRTV said the explosions were caused by “mines inside parcels” that killed three prison officers and five visitors and wounded 18 people. A wou­nded witness said gunfire also broke out after the bombs exploded at the parcel counter.

Myanmar has been in chaos since the military overthrew an elected government led by Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi’s party, and launched a brutal crackdown on dissent. The witness said soldiers at the prison had opened fire in response to the blasts.

Published in Dawn, October 20th, 2022