Myanmar Military Airstrike Kills 14 at Buddhist Monastery

The Myanmar military killed 14 people and wounded 20 others during an airstrike on a Buddhist monastery in Swel Le Oh village, Myaung township, on Friday, August 21. The victims, reported to be elderly civilians between the ages of 50 and 70, were participating in a weeklong meditation retreat for Buddhist Lent. Witnesses and the Civil Defense and Security Organization of Myaung Township reported that a fighter jet dropped two bombs approximately 15 minutes apart, with the second strike hitting a nearby house while rescuers were searching for survivors.

The attack occurred in the Sagaing region, a known stronghold for the People’s Defense Forces and other armed resistance groups fighting the military junta that seized power in February 2021. Resistance forces and ethnic armies currently control an estimated 42 percent of the country.

While the military has not commented on this specific incident, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Myanmar recently rejected a report from the United Nations-established Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar that noted an escalation in aerial attacks. The ministry maintains that its security forces exercise maximum restraint and that operations solely target military objectives and terrorist groups.