An airstrike targeting a Buddhist monastery in Swel Le Oh village, located approximately 45 miles west of Mandalay in Myanmar’s central Sagaing region, resulted in 14 deaths on Friday, according to statements from the Civil Defense and Security Organization of Myaung Township and local residents. The attack also wounded 20 additional people. Those killed included three women who were part of a weeklong meditation retreat being conducted during Buddhist Lent, with more than 100 people reportedly participating in the religious observance at the monastery compound.
Accounts from witnesses indicated that a fighter jet dropped two bombs approximately 15 minutes apart. The second explosion damaged a residential structure near the monastery where retreat participants were gathered. Following the strike, survivors relocated to nearby communities after cremating the deceased. Multiple news outlets reported death tolls ranging from 10 to 14, and published imagery and video purporting to show the aftermath of the attack.
The military has not issued an immediate statement regarding the incident. Historically, the armed forces have stated that aerial operations target only legitimate military objectives and have characterized opposition forces as terrorist organizations. Myanmar’s foreign ministry asserted on Sunday that airstrikes are limited in scope, directed at military targets in response to insurgent and terrorist activities, and conducted in accordance with rules of engagement while exercising maximum restraint to prevent civilian casualties.
This attack represents part of an ongoing pattern of aerial bombardment since the military assumed power in February 2021. The country has experienced sustained civil conflict following the seizure of government from the elected administration. An international investigative body reported a significant increase in aerial operations by the military preceding recent elections, with attacks continuing afterward. The armed resistance movements, including the People’s Defense Forces active in the Sagaing region, lack effective defenses against air-based assaults.
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