Myanmar military strike kills 14

Myanmar's military conducted an airstrike on a Buddhist monastery in the central Sagaing region, resulting in the death of 14 people participating in a meditation retreat, according to an opposition group and a local resident. This attack adds to a pattern of frequent and lethal aerial assaults against pro-democracy activists and ethnic armed groups throughout the nation, frequently resulting in civilian casualties.

The incident took place at 9 a.m. on Friday in Swel Le Oh village, located in Myaung township, roughly 75 kilometers (45 miles) west of Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city, as reported by Nway Oo, a spokesperson for the Civil Defence and Security Organization of Myaung Township (CDSOM).

The attack involved a jet fighter dropping a bomb in the monastery compound, killing 14 people, including three women, and injuring 20 others. A villager, speaking anonymously, confirmed the death toll and added that the aircraft launched two bombs 15 minutes apart. The second bomb struck a house near the monastery, where over 100 individuals were gathered for a week-long retreat during Buddhist Lent.

A villager who lost a relative in the airstrike disclosed that residents hastily evacuated to a neighboring community following the burial of the victims.