An airstrike on a Buddhist monastery in Myanmar’s earthquake-affected Sagaing region has left at least 23 people dead, including four children, according to witnesses.
A member of a local resistance group, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that the attack occurred overnight at the Lin Ta Lu village monastery, located in Sagaing township. The strike injured around 30 others, with 10 of them in critical condition. The witness stated that a jet fighter dropped a bomb on the monastery building around 1 a.m., killing 23 civilians. At the time of the attack, over 150 people from nearby villages had sought refuge at the monastery to escape ongoing violence in the region.
Myanmar’s independent Democratic Voice of Burma media outlet reported that the death toll could be as high as 30, although this figure could not be immediately verified.
Hlaing Bwa, a leader of the pro-democracy group that administers parts of central Myanmar, and a local resident, both identified the attack as an airstrike by Myanmar’s military junta, the State Administration Council. The military has yet to comment on the incident. The monastery is located roughly 35 kilometers northwest of Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city.
The monastery was sheltering around 200 people displaced by nearby clashes between the military and pro-democracy forces, according to Hlaing Bwa.
Ongoing Military Airstrikes Despite Earthquake Relief
The attack comes amid Myanmar’s ongoing civil war, which began when the military ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. The military’s violent suppression of peaceful protests has fueled widespread armed resistance. Large portions of the country are now embroiled in conflict.
Days after a devastating magnitude-7.7 earthquake struck Sagaing on March 28, the military announced a temporary ceasefire to allow for humanitarian relief and recovery efforts. However, airstrikes and artillery attacks on rebel-controlled areas, including those already devastated by the earthquake, have continued. The earthquake claimed nearly 3,700 lives.
The military has increasingly relied on airstrikes to counter opposition forces, particularly in Sagaing, a region that has become a stronghold for armed resistance. The resistance groups have no effective defense against these aerial assaults.
Escalating Conflict in Sagaing
The bombing of the monastery comes just weeks after hundreds of soldiers participated in an offensive to retake areas held by resistance groups near Lin Ta Lu, located just 5 kilometers from the monastery. This military operation involved the use of tanks and aircraft. Thousands of villagers from nearby areas, including Lin Ta Lu, have been displaced due to the ongoing fighting.
Nay Phone Latt, spokesperson for the opposition’s National Unity Government, stated that the military’s actions are part of an ongoing attempt to reclaim territories held by the resistance ahead of a planned general election later this year. The election, which is widely seen as an effort to legitimize the military’s power grab, is expected to deliver results that allow the generals to maintain control of the country.
