14 killed in airstrike on Buddhist monastery by Myanmar military:20 injured during meditation retreat in Sagaing

A Myanmar military airstrike on a Buddhist monastery in the central Sagaing region killed 14 people and injured 20 others on Friday, according to an opposition group and a local resident. The attack took place at around 9am in Swel Le Oh village in Myaung township, about 75km west of Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city. Nway Oo, a spokesperson for the Civil Defence and Security Organization of Myaung Township, said a fighter jet dropped a bomb on the monastery compound, killing 14 people, including three women, and injuring 20 others. The victims were taking part in a week-long meditation retreat during Buddhist Lent when the attack occurred. Second bomb hits nearby house A local villager, who spoke anonymously, also confirmed the reported death toll to The Associated Press. The villager said the fighter jet dropped two bombs about 15 minutes apart. The second bomb struck a house near the monastery, where more than 100 people were gathered for the retreat. The villager, who lost a relative in the attack, said survivors fled to a nearby community after burying the victims. The reported casualties could not be independently verified by AP beyond the accounts provided by the opposition group and resident. Sagaing remains a stronghold of resistance The attack comes amid Myanmar’s ongoing civil war, which began after the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. The military has increasingly relied on airstrikes against pro-democracy armed groups and ethnic militias fighting for control of territory. Sagaing has emerged as a major stronghold of armed resistance. The latest strike adds to a pattern of deadly aerial attacks in the region, where civilians have repeatedly been caught in the fighting between the military and opposition forces. ​