14 killed as airstrike hits Buddhist monastery in Myanmar during meditation retreat

At least 14 people were killed and around 20 others wounded after an airstrike hit a Buddhist monastery in Myanmar’s central Sagaing region on Friday while more than 100 people were taking part in a week-long meditation retreat, according to an opposition organisation and a local resident.

The attack took place around 9 a.m. at Swel Le Oh village in Myaung township, about 75 km west of Mandalay. Nway Oo, a spokesperson for the Civil Defence and Security Organisation of Myaung Township (CDSOM), said a military fighter jet bombed the monastery compound. Three women were among those killed. A resident separately confirmed the casualties and said people attending the retreat had gathered at the monastery during Buddhist Lent.

Two bombs reported

According to the resident, the aircraft dropped two bombs roughly 15 minutes apart. The second explosion damaged a house near the monastery where participants in the meditation retreat were staying. The attack sent survivors fleeing from the area as residents dealt with the dead and wounded.

The resident, whose mother-in-law was among those killed, said survivors cremated the victims before leaving for a nearby community. Local media reports placed the number of fatalities between 10 and 14, while images and videos circulated online purportedly showed the aftermath of the strike.

There was no immediate response from Myanmar’s military to reports of Friday’s attack. The military has previously maintained that its aerial operations target legitimate military objectives and has described armed resistance organisations fighting its rule as terrorist groups.

Sagaing remains conflict centre

Sagaing has emerged as one of the principal centres of resistance to Myanmar’s military authorities since the armed forces seized power in February 2021, removing the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. People’s Defence Forces and other anti-military groups operate extensively across the region, and fighting between resistance forces and the military has continued for years.

Unlike some of Myanmar’s powerful ethnic armed organisations, many resistance groups operating in central areas have limited capability to defend themselves against military aircraft. Air power has consequently become an important advantage for the military as ground forces confront resistance across several parts of the country.

The increasing use of airstrikes has also resulted in repeated reports of civilian casualties. Villages, schools, religious buildings and displacement camps have been caught in attacks during the conflict, while both sides have traded accusations over responsibility for violence.

Airstrikes under scrutiny

The latest attack comes amid heightened international scrutiny of aerial operations in Myanmar. The United Nations’ Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar recently pointed to an increase in airstrikes as the conflict has continued, while documenting allegations of serious violations committed during military operations.

Myanmar’s authorities have rejected accusations that their forces deliberately target civilians, maintaining that military operations are directed at armed groups and conducted according to established procedures. Opposition organisations, however, accuse the military of using air power against civilian areas in an effort to weaken communities supporting the resistance.

Friday’s reported strike is particularly significant because it hit a religious site during a meditation retreat. More than 100 people had gathered for the week-long programme when the bombs struck, according to accounts from the area.

Conflict shows little respite

Myanmar has remained engulfed in conflict since the 2021 takeover triggered mass protests that were met with a violent crackdown. What began as a nationwide civil-disobedience movement subsequently developed into armed resistance, with newly formed People’s Defence Forces joining established ethnic armed groups in fighting the military.

The military continues to control major cities and key state institutions, but resistance organisations and ethnic forces operate across substantial parts of the country. The prolonged conflict has displaced millions of people and left civilian communities increasingly vulnerable to fighting.

The deaths at Swel Le Oh monastery add to that toll. For those attending the retreat, a week intended for meditation during Buddhist Lent instead ended with survivors leaving their village after hurriedly cremating the dead — another civilian tragedy in a conflict that has shown little sign of ending.