It was only hours after Myanmar was hit by its strongest earthquake in a century when the ruling military regime resumed bombing parts of the war-torn country where it lost crucial territory over more than a year of intense fighting.
Even as the damage of Friday’s 7.7 magnitude quake was still being assessed, pro-democracy rebel groups reported fresh airstrikes in areas close to the epicenter. The official death toll from the quake has now surpassed 2,000, with widespread destruction in Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city.
The United Nations condemned the attacks as "completely outrageous and unacceptable” and called for the junta to stop all military operations. The rebels have declared a two-week ceasefire to allow aid to reach victims.
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