A military air strike on a Buddhist monastery in central Myanmar’s Sagaing Region has killed at least 14 people and injured 20 others, according to an opposition group and a local resident.
The attack took place in Swel Le Oh village in Myaung township, about 75 kilometres west of Mandalay, on Friday, according to Nway Oo, a spokesperson for the Civil Defense and Security Organization of Myaung Township (CDSOM).
Nway Oo said a fighter jet dropped bombs on the monastery compound, killing 14 people, including three women. More than 100 people were staying in and around the monastery for a weeklong Buddhist Lent retreat when the attack occurred.
A local resident told The Associated Press that two bombs were dropped about 15 minutes apart. The resident, who spoke anonymously, said his mother-in-law was among those killed.
Local media, including the BBC’s Burmese Service, reported death tolls ranging from 10 to 14. The Myanmar military has not immediately commented on the reported strike, but has previously maintained that its forces target legitimate military objectives and seek to avoid civilian casualties.
According to Al Jazeera, Myaung township is located in Sagaing Region, a major stronghold of armed resistance to Myanmar’s military government. Resistance forces and ethnic armed groups currently control significant areas of the country as the conflict continues to spread across multiple regions.
Myanmar has remained embroiled in a nationwide civil war since the military seized power from the elected government in February 2021. The coup and subsequent crackdown on anti-military protests triggered an armed resistance movement involving numerous ethnic and politically aligned armed groups.
The latest reported strike comes amid continued international concern over the military’s use of air power. The UN-established Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar said in August that it had observed a notable increase in aerial attacks in the period leading up to Myanmar’s elections in December and January, with such attacks continuing afterwards.
Myanmar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has rejected the UN mechanism’s findings, saying the military targets only “terrorists” and that security forces exercise maximum restraint to prevent civilian casualties.
The conflict has displaced millions of people and caused widespread civilian suffering, with air strikes, ground fighting and attacks on communities reported across the country.
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