Fourteen killed in strike on Myanmar monastery
Fourteen people were reportedly killed when Myanmar’s military carried out air strikes on a monastery in the central Sagaing region on Friday. The attack matters because civilians had gathered there for a Buddhist Lent meditation retreat, highlighting continuing concerns over military strikes on public sites during the country’s civil war.
Opposition fighters and a local rescue worker said the monastery in Chhay Hoe O village was struck twice at about 09:00 local time, with the second strike occurring as people searched for survivors. The dead were reported to be 11 men and three women, aged between 50 and 70; monks were also injured. Myanmar’s military had not commented, and has previously said it attacks only legitimate targets.
- Fourteen elderly civilians reportedly died in strikes on a monastery.
- The site was reportedly bombed twice during a meditation retreat.
- Myanmar’s military has not commented on the allegations.
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Myanmar has been in conflict since the army seized power in a coup in February 2021, removing the elected government. Protests against military rule were met with force, and armed resistance groups later formed in many parts of the country.
Sagaing, in central Myanmar, has become one of the main areas of fighting between the military and groups opposed to its rule. The army has a much larger air force than its opponents, so air strikes have become an important part of the conflict.
Monasteries are central to Buddhist community life in Myanmar and can also serve as places of shelter or gathering. Rights groups and local monitors have repeatedly raised concerns about civilian deaths and damage to public buildings during the war, while the military says it targets armed opponents.