In brief
On Friday morning, a Burmese military aircraft bombed a monastery in Myaung township, killing 14 people, all of whom were elderly men and women gathering for a meditation retreat. According to local opposition and a rescue worker, the strike hit twice, injuring several monks. The victims were from neighboring villages and attended the ceremony to mark Buddhist Lent. The military has not commented on the incident. The attack adds to the ongoing civil war that began after the 2021 coup, amid accusations of the army targeting civilian sites.
A military air strike in the central Sagaing region of Myanmar early on Friday morning has killed 14 people, all elderly, according to opposition fighters and a local rescue worker. The victims were gathering in Myaung township’s monastery to mark Buddhist Lent when the aircraft struck the site twice.
The strike occurred around 09:00 local time (02:30 GMT) some 70 km west of Mandalay. The rescue worker reported that all deceased were aged between 50 and 70, with five from one village and the remaining nine from a neighbouring township. Monks present were injured in the attack.
A second unnamed opposition fighter recalled that while he was searching for survivors, another aircraft arrived and bombed the location a second time. The Myanmar military has not issued a statement regarding the incident.
Since the 2021 coup d’etat that ousted former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar has been in a state of civil war and martial rule. The army, often accused of striking civilian sites, maintains that it targets only legitimate military objectives. This latest attack on a monastery has drawn international attention to the humanitarian toll of the conflict.
