Myanmar's military has sharply intensified attacks on civilians since the country's military leadership was reshuffled in March, despite renewed diplomatic engagement by regional governments, according to a conflict monitoring group.
The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED) said on Monday that the escalation was linked to new tactics adopted under Myanmar's military chief, who took command in late March as his predecessor prepared to assume the presidency.
"Since the ruling junta in Myanmar reconfigured its military command structure in March, civilians have been subjected to worsening repression and an intensified aerial bombing campaign," ACLED said in a report.
The monitor said the military had increasingly deployed specialised formations of two to five fighter jets to carry out sustained air strikes against individual targets.
A spokesperson for Myanmar's government did not immediately respond to Reuters' request for comment.
ACLED compiles data on Myanmar's conflict using information from media reports, local partners, the United Nations, international monitoring groups and local human rights organisations.
Myanmar has been engulfed in conflict since the military overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021, triggering a civil war that has killed an estimated 100,000 people and displaced millions.
Shortly before becoming president following an election that excluded most opposition parties, Min Aung Hlaing appointed his long-time ally and former intelligence chief Ye Win Oo as commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
Since taking office, Ye Win Oo has overseen renewed military offensives in several border regions, including areas containing strategic rare earth deposits and key trade routes.
ACLED said there was little prospect of an easing in violence as the junta sought to consolidate power following Min Aung Hlaing's transition from military chief to civilian president in April.
"Reprieve for civilians is unlikely as the junta focuses its efforts on consolidating control," the report said.
During the first half of 2026, ACLED documented more than a dozen mass killings that resulted in over 450 civilian deaths, with around 40% of the fatalities occurring in Myanmar's central dry zone, known as the Anyar region.
In May, hundreds of junta troops reportedly swept through parts of Myit Chay township, across the river from the ancient temples of Bagan, killing at least 40 people, according to three local residents interviewed by Reuters.
"About 700 soldiers came into the town, took people's belongings, then beat and killed them," said Ye Naung, 35.
Reuters said it was unable to independently verify the accounts from Myit Chay. The incident, however, appears in ACLED's database with at least five reported fatalities and was also covered by local media.
"The military's tactics in 2026 so far reflect a shift in the methods of civilian repression rather than any reduction in its severity," ACLED said.
The political transition in Myanmar has prompted a flurry of regional diplomatic activity, with Min Aung Hlaing travelling to neighbouring India and China in recent months.
There has also been tentative re-engagement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), which barred Myanmar's military leaders from attending its summits following the 2021 coup.
Min Aung Hlaing is scheduled to pay an official visit to Thailand on 6-7 August as he seeks to strengthen regional ties and bolster the legitimacy of his administration.