At Least 14 Killed In Myanmar Military Airstrike On Buddhist Monastery

At least 14 people were killed and 20 wounded when a military airstrike hit a Buddhist monastery in Myanmar's Sagaing region during a meditation retreat. The attack reportedly involved two bombs and occurred in an area known for strong resistance to military rule. The military government has not confirmed the strike, while UN investigators have warned of an increase in aerial attacks on civilians amid Myanmar's ongoing civil war.

At least 14 people were killed and 20 others wounded when a military aircraft struck a Buddhist monastery in Myanmar's central Sagaing region, opposition groups and local residents said Saturday.
The airstrike took place on Friday in Swel Le Oh village, Myaung township, about 75 kilometres west of Mandalay.
The monastery was hosting more than 100 people attending a weeklong meditation retreat marking Buddhist Lent when the attack occurred.

TWO BOMBS HIT MONASTERY AREA

A local resident told the Associated Press that a military jet dropped two bombs about 15 minutes apart.
The second strike reportedly damaged a nearby house.
Nway Oo, a spokesperson for an anti-government resistance group, said three women were among those killed and about 20 people were injured.
Another pro-democracy resistance figure accused the military of deliberately targeting the monastery, although the allegation could not be independently verified.
Myanmar's military government had not confirmed the reported strike or casualty figures.

SAGAING REMAINS A RESISTANCE STRONGHOLD

The attack occurred in Sagaing, one of the main strongholds of armed resistance against Myanmar's military government.
Since the military seized power in a February 2021 coup, the country has been engulfed in a civil war involving the military, pro-democracy resistance groups and ethnic armed organisations.
The military has repeatedly used airstrikes against areas controlled or contested by opposition forces, particularly in Sagaing and other regions where resistance is strong.

UN WARNS OF INCREASE IN AIR ATTACKS

The latest strike comes shortly after a United Nations investigative body reported a significant increase in aerial attacks across Myanmar over the past year.
The Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) accused the military-backed authorities of carrying out what it described as indiscriminate and intentional attacks against civilians.
The conflict-monitoring organisation ACLED has also accused the military regime of using attacks on civilian infrastructure and gatherings, including weddings and religious festivals, as part of what it described as a strategy intended to create fear.
Myanmar's government has rejected such accusations, saying its military operations are directed at insurgents and armed groups and that it takes measures to avoid civilian casualties.

MYANMAR'S CIVIL WAR CONTINUES

The military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, detaining the former leader and later sentencing her to lengthy prison terms on charges widely criticised as politically motivated.
A brutal crackdown on protests pushed many opponents of military rule to take up arms, transforming the political crisis into a nationwide conflict.
According to ACLED estimates, more than 100,000 people have been killed across the conflict since the military takeover.
The country also held elections this year, but opposition groups and international observers widely criticised the process as lacking credibility.
The former junta chief, General Min Aung Hlaing, was subsequently appointed president as the military sought to portray its rule as a civilian government.
The latest monastery strike has therefore added to concerns over the continuing use of air power in populated areas and the growing humanitarian cost of Myanmar's prolonged conflict.