A small blast in Myanmar’s second-biggest city damages Chinese Consulate

The Chinese Consulate in Myanmar’s second-largest city has been slightly damaged by an explosive device, but there were no casualties, the military, independent media and a city resident said Saturday.

No public claims of responsibility were made for the attack on Friday in Mandalay. China is a major ally of Myanmar’s military, which came to power after ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021 but is now fighting fiercely against resistance forces challenging its rule.

The military said in a statement sent to journalists on Saturday evening that roof tiles on the two-story Chinese Consulate were damaged by a explosion Friday afternoon.

The security forces are investigating in order to arrest the “terrorists” behind the blast, it said.

The army is engaged in nationwide fighting against pro-democracy guerrillas and ethnic minority militias. It was forced onto the defensive late last year when ethnic armed organizations dealt it major defeats in the country’s northeast, seizing important territory along the border with China.

Read more: ABC News