NEW DELHI: In a dramatic escalation of violence in Myanmar’s civil conflict, retired military general and former diplomat Cho Tun Aung was shot dead outside his residence in Yangon on Wednesday evening, in what authorities have called a “targeted political assassination.”

The 72-year-old retired officer, who also served as Myanmar’s ambassador to China during the 2000s, was gunned down by unidentified assailants while returning from his daily evening walk in the affluent Bahan township. Eyewitnesses say at least two attackers on a motorcycle opened fire at close range before fleeing the scene.

? A targeted and symbolic hit ?

The killing is being seen as a direct challenge to the ruling military junta’s control over Myanmar’s largest city. A little-known insurgent group calling itself the “Golden Valley Warriors” has claimed responsibility for the attack in an encrypted message circulated on local Telegram channels. The group described Cho Tun Aung as “a symbol of the junta’s foreign reach and oppression.”

The military government has yet to confirm the group's claim but has launched a citywide manhunt. Yangon’s regional commander, Lt. Gen. Aung Min, stated, “This was a cowardly act of domestic terrorism. We will find and eliminate those responsible.”

Former general with deep regime ties

Cho Tun Aung was considered a key ideologue within Myanmar’s armed forces, or Tatmadaw, known for shaping pro-China policy during his diplomatic stint and mentoring younger officers in post-retirement think tanks. Though no longer active in government, he remained an influential voice in shaping Myanmar’s military-aligned foreign policy.

Sources within the political resistance movement claim he had recently taken part in closed-door meetings advising the junta on urban counterinsurgency, making him a potential high-value target.

Yangon on edge

Security has been tightened across Yangon following the incident, with military checkpoints and patrols reinstated in several urban zones. Citizens report a surge in night raids and arbitrary detentions.

The assassination comes amid a wider wave of attacks targeting junta-linked figures across Myanmar. Earlier this month, a pro-junta township administrator was killed in Mandalay, and a police outpost in Sagaing was bombed by anti-regime guerrillas.

International condemnation and concern

The United Nations Special Envoy for Myanmar, Noeleen Heyzer, issued a brief statement condemning the violence and urging all parties “to return to a path of dialogue and democratic restoration.” However, with neither the military nor opposition groups showing signs of de-escalation, observers fear Myanmar may be entering a new and more volatile phase of its internal conflict.

The country's exiled shadow government, the National Unity Government (NUG), has not commented on the incident.