Myanmar military strike kills 14 people at a Buddhist monastery, opposition group says
BANGKOK (AP) — An airstrike on Friday by Myanmar’s military on a Buddhist monastery in Myanmar ’s central Sagaing region killed 14 people who were taking part in a weeklong meditation retreat, an opposition group and a resident said. The attack is the latest in a series of frequent and deadly aerial strikes targeting armed pro-democracy forces […] The post Myanmar military strike kills 14 people…
On August 21, 2026, a military airstrike on a Buddhist monastery in Sagaing region, Myanmar, killed 14 people attending a weeklong meditation retreat, according to an opposition group and a local resident. The attack occurred in Swel Le Oh village, Myaung township, approximately 45 miles west of Mandalay. Three women were among the deceased, and 20 others sustained injuries.
The incident marks a growing trend of civilian casualties resulting from frequent military strikes against pro-democracy and ethnic armed groups. The military maintains that it only targets legitimate war objectives, accusing insurgents of being terrorists. Myanmar has experienced turmoil since the military ousted the elected government in February 2021, sparking a civil war.
A week prior to the monastery attack, the U.N.-established Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar reported a notable increase in aerial attacks in the months leading up to the elections in December and January, with the strikes continuing since then. The Myanmar foreign ministry dismissed the report, stating that the airstrikes and counterterrorism operations are limited to military targets and take place with maximum restraint to avoid civilian harm.
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