As fighting intensified between Myanmar’s junta and rebels for control of a key municipality in western Rakhine, dramatic images of troops storming a helicopter were spread by anti-junta Facebook pages that falsely claimed a military helicopter was seen ambushed in the restive state. However, the video shows an attack in Pinlebu in northwestern Myanmar. Local media reported that the military helicopter was targeted by forces loyal to Myanmar’s opposition government.
“Images of an MI-17 helicopter carrying terrorist forces being shot down,” Burmese news channel AK-Media Live posted to its 44,000 Facebook followers on October 31.
It shared images of a helicopter under fire as it hovered over a grassy field. When it lands, dozens of soldiers rush aboard. Moments later, an explosion erupts next to the helicopter.
“AK-Media Live” supports the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic armed group waging war against Myanmar’s junta to conquer its own autonomous homeland.
The Southeast Asian country has been in turmoil since the military ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021.
The junta’s brutal crackdown on anti-coup protesters has forced thousands of young people to join the newly formed “People’s Defense Forces” and reignited fighting with ethnic armed groups.
The Facebook post claimed the video was shot in Ann, Myanmar’s western Rakhine state, where heavy fighting has raged as the AA steps up efforts to capture the township – the headquarters of Myanmar’s Western Regional Military Command the junta.
The video was spread in October by several anti-junta accounts, including here and here.
However, the video was filmed months earlier in Pinlebu township in northwestern Myanmar, and not in Ann.
Attack on military base
A keyword search on Google turned up similar images of the helicopter storm, published by Burmese news channel Mizzima on August 9 (archived link).
“Military helicopter attacked in Pinlebu, 7 killed, 17 injured,” read the headline.
Pinlebu is a strategic gateway to Myanmar’s northeastern region.
According to the report, the footage was filmed and published on July 6 by Myanmar’s opposition National Unity Government, which is largely made up of lawmakers ousted in the 2021 coup.
AFP confirmed that the video was shot in Pinlebu municipality by comparing the aerial footage in Mizzima’s report with Google Maps images of the area (archived link).
A white monument visible at the beginning of the video shared on Facebook is seen in news reports of clashes around Pinlebu in October, a few months after the helicopter attack (archived link).
The monument is also visible on Google Maps, which identifies it as Monument Hill.
After months of intense fighting, Pinlebu was reportedly captured by National Unity Government forces on October 8 (archived link).
AFP here fact-checked a wave of misinformation about the unrest in Myanmar.
