Mandalay, August 22 — A military airstrike on a Buddhist monastery in central Myanmar has left 14 people dead, including three women, and injured 20 others, according to local witnesses and an anti-government resistance group. The attack occurred during a weeklong meditation retreat attended by around 100 people in Swel Le Oh village, Sagaing region, approximately 75 kilometers west of Mandalay. Nway Oo, a spokesman for the Civil Defense and Security Organization of Myaung Township, stated the deceased were part of a pro-democracy gathering.
He emphasized the strike was intentional, not a mistake, and described two bombs dropped by a military jet 15 minutes apart. The second explosion damaged a nearby house, adding to the chaos.
A villager corroborated the death toll and the nature of the attack, underscoring the vulnerability of civilian spaces in the ongoing conflict. The Myanmar military has not yet acknowledged the strike. This marks another deadly assault by the regime, which has faced widespread criticism for targeting pro-democracy sites and civilian gatherings.
The United Nations’ Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar reported a sharp rise in aerial attacks against civilians over the past year, accusing the military-backed government of “indiscriminate and intentional” actions. The regime, however, insists its operations target insurgents and terrorist groups, claiming maximum restraint to avoid harming non-combatants.
Myanmar’s military seized power in a 2021 coup, ousting the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. The junta has since faced international condemnation for its handling of the crisis. The recent airstrike in Sagaing, a stronghold of armed resistance, aligns with patterns of violence the military has employed to suppress opposition.
The UN’s findings and reports from groups like ACLED, which accuse the regime of a “terror strategy” targeting civilians, highlight the escalating risks for ordinary people. As the conflict deepens, the human cost continues to mount.
The attack on a religious site during a period of reflection underscores the indiscriminate nature of the violence. For communities in Myanmar, such incidents are not abstract—they mean loss of life, displacement, and a growing sense of insecurity. The junta’s refusal to address allegations of civilian targeting raises urgent questions about accountability and the path to peace in the region.
