Seven Offices of Private Bank in Myanmar Hit by Blasts - Reports

BANGKOK (Sputnik) - Seven branches of a private bank, KBZ, were blown up by unknown attackers in the center of Mandalay, Myanmar, according to local media.

The explosions occurred amid growing fears that the country's private banks began to transfer information about their clients to the military government, Myanmar Now newspaper reported. The Myanmar authorities allegedly demanded the disclosure of this information in order to trace the funding of anti-government activities, the news noted.

"I think KBZ became a target because it is believed that they have been sharing information about those suspected of donating money to support the revolution, and also freezing accounts used for this purpose," an anonymous local resident was quoted as saying by Myanmar Now.

A number of accounts that used the bank's online payment system, KBZ Pay, to transfer money to members of the civil disobedience movement have been suspended, the newspaper added.

The Myanmar authorities have not yet commented on the explosions. No group operating in the region has reportedly taken responsibility for the attacks yet.

The military came to power in Myanmar on February 1 under the pretext that the then-ruling National League for Democracy party rigged the November 2020 general election. The military coup triggered a wave of civil protests, leaving several hundred people dead.