Myanmar fighter jet enters Thai airspace, causing panic

In Thailand, it was announced that a Myanmar army fighter jet had entered Thai airspace on Thursday, leading to the mobilization of Thai forces and the evacuation of a number of villagers from their homes.

The Royal Thai Air Force said it sent two F-16 fighter jets to patrol the area after receiving reports that the plane was crossing Thai airspace during an attack in the ethnic minority-controlled province of Myanmar.

The authorities asked the military attache of the Thai embassy in Myanmar to alert the Myanmar authorities and work with them to avoid similar incidents in the future.

The sound of a fighter jet flying over the Phob Phra district of Tak province in Thailand alarmed local authorities, who ordered the evacuation of villages and schools in the area.

Teachers in Wali escorted more than 200 primary and secondary students from their classrooms to fortified buildings on the school grounds for safety.

Local media reported that residents saw the aircraft, identified by some as a MiG-29, make several circles in Thai airspace over villages and schools before opening fire on the Myanmar side.

Fighting between Myanmar government forces and ethnic militants, many of whom live in border areas, has been ongoing for decades but has intensified since the military seized power last February from a democratically elected government.

The fighting has resulted in waves of refugees fleeing Myanmar for Thailand, only to return when the fighting dies down.

Source: AB

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