Mandalay Airport Closed for Two Days After Six Drones Attack

Myanmar’s Mandalay International Airport was closed from September 11 through September 12, with reopening expected September 13, after six explosive-laden drones attacked the airport area. The military-backed government blamed pro-democracy People’s Defence Forces, while authorities said the drones were intercepted and their explosives neutralized; no casualties or damage to runways, aircraft, or vehicles were reported, though flights were disrupted. The precautionary closure came because the attack occurred near, but not at, the terminal. Mandalay is a major civilian hub, although monitoring groups say it is also used by military aircraft amid Myanmar’s civil war, making the strike a rare reported rebel attack near a major urban center.