In brief
Late Friday early in the morning, the Myanmar military reportedly struck a Buddhist monastery in the Sagaing region, killing fourteen elderly individuals and injuring several monks. The attack, confirmed by local fighters and a rescue worker, struck the site twice and occurred during a meditation retreat marking Buddhist Lent. All victims were aged between 50 and 70, with nine from the neighbouring township and five from a single village. The move comes amid a prolonged civil conflict that began after the 2021 coup, in which the military has been accused of targeting civilian sites.
Fourteen people were killed in military air strikes at a monastery in Myanmar early Friday, opposition fighters and a local rescue worker said.
All of those killed were elderly and a number of monks were injured. The site was struck twice, the rescue worker told BBC Burmese.
The attack happened at about 09:00 local time (02:30 GMT) in Myaung township, 70km west of Mandalay, the AFP said.
Civilians had gathered for a meditation retreat to mark Buddhist Lent when the bombing struck. Myanmar’s military has not commented on the incident.
Opposition fighter Nway Oo Myaung reported that the victims were 11 men and three women from two different villages, aged 50‑70.
Another unnamed rebel said he was searching for survivors when the aircraft struck a second time.
Myanmar has been in civil war since the 2021 coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi. The army, which faces accusations of targeting civilian buildings, has previously claimed it only strikes legitimate targets.
