Myanmar Air Strike Hits Monastery, Civilians Die in Night Raid

More than 20 civilians, among them several children, lost their lives in a recent air strike on a Buddhist monastery in central Myanmar, according to eyewitness accounts and anti-junta sources.

The attack occurred in the early hours of Friday in Lin Ta Lu village, located in the conflict-ravaged Sagaing region.

Myanmar has been mired in violent unrest since the military seized power from a democratically elected government in February 2021.

The coup triggered a civil conflict that has since engulfed much of the country, with the Sagaing region bearing the brunt of relentless military assaults.

The junta has repeatedly targeted areas believed to shelter anti-regime forces, often striking civilian infrastructure with little regard for non-combatants.

Speaking to AFP under the condition of anonymity, an anti-junta fighter said that the monastery hall in Lin Ta Lu, where many internally displaced people had sought refuge, was struck around 1:00 am local time on Friday.

“They believed the monastery would be a safe haven,” he said.

“But they were bombed anyway.”

According to his account, 22 people were killed in the strike, including three children.

Two others were severely injured and remain in critical condition at a local hospital.

A local resident who also asked not to be named confirmed the devastation, telling AFP that the entire monastery hall was reduced to rubble.

The same resident reported witnessing the aftermath, describing scenes of bodies being loaded into vehicles and transported to a nearby cemetery just after dawn.

“I counted 22 bodies,” he said.

“Many had severe head injuries, and some were torn apart.

“It was heartbreaking to see.”

Photographs were reportedly taken at the cemetery in an effort to identify the victims.

However, the sheer extent of the injuries made recognition difficult, the resident added.

So far, the military has not issued any official response. Junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun did not respond to AFP’s request for comment regarding the incident.

The Sagaing region has experienced some of the most intense fighting in the ongoing civil conflict.

After being the epicenter of a catastrophic 7.7 magnitude earthquake in March that killed nearly 3,800 people and left tens of thousands homeless, the region has faced continued violence.

Despite reports of a temporary ceasefire between the junta and resistance groups following the disaster, attacks, including air strikes, have persisted.

This latest strike is not an isolated case.

In May, a similar attack on a school in the village of Oe Htein Kwin in Sagaing killed 22 people, including 20 students and two teachers.

That incident drew condemnation from international human rights groups, who accused the military of deliberately targeting civilian locations to crush dissent.

Humanitarian organizations have expressed increasing concern over the use of air power by Myanmar’s military in civilian-populated areas.

Numerous villages in Sagaing and other regions have been bombed repeatedly.

This has reportedly pushed thousands of residents to flee their homes in search of safety.

Monasteries, schools, and other traditionally neutral spaces have become common shelters for internally displaced persons, though even these locations are no longer seen as safe havens.

Rights monitors and civil society groups have called for global action to stop the military’s campaign of air strikes and to ensure accountability for the targeting of civilians.

Calls for a no-fly zone or sanctions targeting military aviation assets have intensified, though international response remains limited.

As the conflict enters its fourth year, the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar continues to deepen.

With nearly 2 million people displaced and civilian casualties mounting, hopes for a peaceful resolution appear distant.

Meanwhile, communities like Lin Ta Lu are left to mourn yet another devastating loss.

“They sought shelter in a monastery, a place of peace,” said the anti-junta fighter. “Instead, they were met with war.”

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