Fourteen people, all elderly, were killed in military airstrikes targeting a monastery in Myanmar's Sagaing region early on Friday, according to opposition fighters and rescue workers. The compound was struck twice in rapid succession, with some accounts indicating the death toll may rise as searchers continue to work through the rubble.
The attack occurred at approximately 09:00 local time (02:30 GMT) in Swel Le Oh village within Myaung township, roughly 70 kilometres west of Mandalay. According to international news reports, more than 100 worshippers had gathered at the compound for a weeklong meditation retreat marking Buddhist Lent. Myanmar's military has not issued a statement regarding the incident.
Pro-democracy rebel Nway Oo Myaung told news agencies that the victims included 11 men and three women, aged between 50 and 70. Five of the deceased came from one village, while nine others were from a neighbouring township. A rescue worker reported that several monks sustained injuries and that some victims died in hospital after being critically wounded in the blasts.
How did the attack unfold?
An unnamed opposition fighter who participated in rescue efforts described a harrowing sequence of events.
While we were trying to rescue people, the aircraft came to bomb a second time,he recounted. According to witness accounts, the aircraft dropped bombs minutes apart, with reports indicating that four 250-pound bombs were deployed in the assault.
What is the broader conflict context?
Myanmar has endured civil war since the military executed a coup in 2021 that removed Aung San Suu Kyi from power. The country has operated under martial rule since that takeover. The Sagaing region has emerged as a major battlefield in the ongoing conflict, with repeated air attacks occurring in areas controlled or contested by anti-junta forces. The military, which faces frequent accusations of striking civilian infrastructure, has previously maintained that it targets only legitimate military objectives.
The monastery strike represents the second significant attack in the area this week. A prior airstrike in Myaung on Wednesday killed two volunteer teachers, indicating the township has become an increasingly contested zone. The Friday assault on the meditation retreat underscores the vulnerability of civilian gatherings in conflict-affected regions, even at religious sites traditionally considered places of sanctuary.
Key Facts
- Fourteen elderly civilians, including monks, were killed in two successive airstrikes on a Buddhist monastery compound in Myaung township
- The victims, aged 50 to 70, had gathered for a weeklong meditation retreat marking Buddhist Lent when the attack occurred
- Sagaing region has become a major battlefield in Myanmar's civil war, with the military conducting repeated air operations against anti-junta forces
- The military has not commented on the incident and maintains it only targets legitimate military objectives
