China hit hard in Myanmar…, Karenni rebels shoot down ‘made in China’ fighter jet worth Rs 710000000 in…, Big blow for Beijing due to…

In the middle of Myanmar’s ongoing civil war, China has suffered a major setback. A fighter jet made in China and used by Myanmar’s ruling military (junta) has been shot down by local rebel fighters. The Karenni rebel group (KNDF) took down a Chinese FTC-2000G fighter jet near the town of Hpasang in Kayah State. This jet was part of the junta’s efforts to protect its military bases, especially battalions 134 and 135, which were under rebel attack at the time.

After shooting down the jet, the rebels showed its wreckage to the world. The remains of the fighter aircraft were found in a village in Myanmar’s Bago region. Photos and videos of the wreckage were shared online by KNDF’s Deputy Commander Mawi.

In the video, the rebel fighters can be heard celebrating and thanking the Karenni Army for making this possible in Kayah State. They see it as a big success in their fight against the junta.

Meanwhile, Myanmar’s military has admitted that one of its jets went missing about 130 kilometers from the capital, but they claimed it may have been due to bad weather or a technical problem and not due to enemy fire.

This incident is a big blow to both the Myanmar junta and China, which has been supplying weapons to Myanmar and several of India’s neighboring countries.

Myanmar’s military has said that it is carrying out rescue and recovery operations after one of its fighter jets was shot down by rebels. According to rebel commander Mawi, the junta has been using various fighter jets to launch airstrikes against them and the downed jet was likely one of those.

The Jet deal between China and Myanmar

Military experts say that on Tuesday, four fighter jets and one transport aircraft took off from two airbases in Myanmar. The jet that was shot down which was a Chinese-made FTC-2000G that costs around USD 8.5 million each. Myanmar had purchased six of these jets from China.

China delivered them in two batches in 2022. These jets were part of China’s effort to arm Myanmar’s junta forces.

Rebels captured a military base

In the video shared by the rebels, it appears that they also took control of Battalion 134’s headquarters during the same operation. They reportedly arrested several soldiers and family members, and seized weapons and ammunition from the site. However, the rebels have not officially confirmed that they have full control over the base yet.

This is not the first time rebels have claimed to shoot down Chinese-supplied aircraft:

  • On June 10, the People’s Liberation Army (a rebel group) said it shot down another Chinese-made jet.
  • The military denied it, blaming engine failure instead.
  • Earlier on May 20 the Kachin Independence Army claimed to have brought down two military helicopters.

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