Myanmar airstrike kills 14 at Buddhist monastery where 100 were meditating: Report

The attack came amid an ongoing campaign of airstrikes by Myanmar's military against pro-democracy forces and ethnic armed groups.Myanmar airstrike kills 14 people in Sagaing region (Photo: Representative)A Myanmar military airstrike on a Buddhist monastery in the central Sagaing region killed 14 people and injured 20 others on Friday, as per a report by the Associated Press, which cited members of an opposition group and a local citizen.As per the report, the strike took place around 9 am (local time) in Swel Le Oh village in Myaung township, about 75 km west of Mandalay, during a week-long meditation retreat attended by more than 100 people.Nway Oo, spokesperson for the Civil Defence and Security Organisation of Myaung Township (CDSOM), told the Associated Press that a fighter jet dropped a bomb inside the monastery compound, killing 14 people, including three women.A resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity, also confirmed the death toll to AP. The resident said the jet dropped two bombs about 15 minutes apart, with the second damaging a house near the monastery. The attack came amid an ongoing campaign of airstrikes by Myanmar's military against pro-democracy forces and ethnic armed groups. Such strikes have frequently resulted in civilian deaths and injuries.After the attack, residents buried the victims and fled to a nearby community village, the villager said. - Ends(With inputs from Associated Press)Published On: Aug 21, 2026 19:35 IST