Myanmar Airstrike on Monastery Kills 14, Rebel Witnesses Say

Fourteen people died when the Myanmar military launched an airstrike on a monastery in the central Sagaing region, where civilians were gathered for a Buddhist Lent meditation retreat. The attack occurred around 9:00 am on August 21, striking a monastery hall in Myaung township. Witnesses, including two rebel fighters, reported that 11 men and three women, aged between 50 and 70, were killed. One rebel fighter, Nway Oo Myaung, who helped clear bodies, stated, "It wasn’t a mistaken target, they intentionally attacked a monastery." He added that older people had entered the meditation center for three months to mark Buddhist Lent. A second opposition fighter, speaking anonymously, confirmed that five victims were from his village and nine from others. He also claimed that aircraft returned to bomb the area a second time while rescuers were operating. The Myanmar military has not yet commented. This incident follows a UN report accusing the military of "indiscriminate and intentional aerial attacks against civilians" since it seized power in a 2021 coup.

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It wasn’t a mistaken target, they intentionally attacked a monastery.