Myanmar military airstrike on monastery kills 14 during retreat, opposition says

An airstrike by Myanmar's military on a Buddhist monastery in the central Sagaing region killed at least 14 people who were taking part in a week-long meditation retreat, an opposition group and a local resident said on Friday.

The attack occurred at approximately 9 a.m. in Swel Le Oh village in Myaung township, about 75 kilometres west of Mandalay, the country's second-largest city, according to Nway Oo, a spokesperson for the Civil Defence and Security Organization of Myaung Township (CDSOM).

Nway Oo said 14 people, including three women, were killed and 20 others were wounded when a jet fighter dropped a bomb inside the compound of the village's monastery. A villager, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the death toll and said two bombs were dropped about 15 minutes apart. The second bomb damaged a house near the monastery where more than 100 people were on retreat during Buddhist Lent.

The villager, who lost a relative in the airstrike, said that residents fled to a nearby community after burying the bodies of the victims. The CDSOM is one of several local defence groups that have emerged across Myanmar since the military seized power in a coup in February 2021, sparking widespread resistance.

The military has conducted frequent and often deadly aerial strikes against armed pro-democracy forces and ethnic rebel armies across the country. These strikes frequently cause civilian casualties, according to local groups and human rights organisations. The military says it targets insurgents and denies intentionally striking civilians, but the United Nations and other international bodies have documented numerous incidents of airstrikes hitting homes, churches, schools and hospitals.

The monastery attack is the latest in a series of incidents that have raised concerns about the military's conduct in areas where resistance forces are active. Buddhist Lent, which began in early August this year, is a period when many lay Buddhists undertake extended meditation and religious study, often at monasteries. Monasteries have traditionally been considered places of sanctuary, but in Myanmar's ongoing conflict, they have sometimes been caught in the crossfire.

The assistance Association for Political Prisoners (Burma), which monitors the conflict, estimates that more than 4,000 people have been killed and over 25,000 arrested since the 2021 coup. However, independent verification is difficult because of severe restrictions on media access and internet censorship in many conflict zones.

The Associated Press could not independently verify the death toll or details of Friday's strike. There was no immediate comment from the Myanmar military or the state administration council. The CDSOM's Nway Oo called the attack a "war crime" and urged the international community to take stronger action to protect civilians.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has previously stated that more than 1 million people have been displaced by the conflict, and that airstrikes remain a major threat to civilians. The military has accused local defence forces of using civilian areas as cover, but the CDSOM and other groups reject that assertion.

The victims' bodies were buried on Friday afternoon, the villager said, adding that many survivors had left the village for temporary shelter elsewhere. The monastery itself sustained partial damage, with debris and rubble scattered across its prayer hall.