Mandalay International Airport, serving as the second-busiest aviation facility in Myanmar, was shut down for a two-day period starting Friday following allegations from the military-backed administration that pro-democracy insurgents targeted the hub using unmanned aerial vehicles, according to security informants speaking to AFP.

Operating as a central domestic and international transit node situated in the middle of Myanmar, Mandalay airfield is simultaneously identified by civilian air monitoring networks as an operational strip utilized by military aircraft executing combat sorties.

A formal declaration released by the junta stated that six "suicide drones" struck the location on Thursday afternoon, resulting in zero fatalities or injuries while throwing flight operations into disarray.

Nevertheless, an internal security official informed AFP on Friday that "Mandalay airport is closed for today and tomorrow."

"The attack happened some distance from the airport building, but the airport is closed protectively," added the informant, who opted to remain anonymous due to lacking authorization to address journalists.

A second security functionary stationed at an alternative domestic aviation terminal corroborated the closure, confirming under condition of anonymity that the facility would stay "closed for maintenance" through Sunday.

The armed forces of Myanmar initiated an ongoing civil war via a military coup executed in 2021, terminating a decade-long democratic transition by unseating the administration led by Aung San Suu Kyi.

Following five years of sustained conflict, the military has transitioned into an offensive posture against a broad coalition of pro-democracy insurgents and ethnic minority insurgent factions.

Thursday's reported drone strike marks an uncommon official admission of an opposition assault occurring within a major urban center in Myanmar, zones that have historically functioned as secure strongholds for the junta.

The military-aligned government attributed the offensive to pro-democracy militias formed following the takeover, with the primary faction designated as the People's Defence Forces.

The official statement characterized the target as the airport, which it labeled "a non-military, public transportation system."

While independent verification regarding the civilian or dual-use military character of the targeted zone remains unavailable, journalists from AFP have previously documented military aircraft operating from the airfield.

Both insurgent coalitions and the national military increasingly deploy unmanned aerial systems in the civil war, a conflict monitoring organizations estimate has claimed upwards of 100,000 lives.

Analysts observe that the junta's air arm, equipped with fighter jets procured from China and Russia, has played a critical role in repelling opposition fighters.

Simultaneously, the air wing faces frequent accusations of striking civilian infrastructure including educational facilities, religious monasteries, and public gatherings, producing high casualty figures that human rights monitors categorize as potential war crimes.