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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