Myanmar Sagaing monastery airstrike kills 14, injures 20

Myanmar’s military carried out an airstrike on a Buddhist monastery in Sagaing’s Swel Le Oh village, killing 14 people and wounding about 20 as participants were at a week-long meditation retreat. Reports say a jet dropped two bombs about 15 minutes apart, with the second exploding near a house; casualties were confirmed by local residents and an opposition-linked group. The attack underscores a broader pattern of aerial strikes against civilians and ethnic armed groups in Sagaing, raising alarm over the safety of civilians amid the country’s ongoing conflict since the 2021 coup. Authorities had not immediately issued a public comment on the attack, while residents and opposition groups blamed the military. The strikes have intensified international concern about civilian harm and the military’s increasing use of air power in contested areas. In the reporting, witnesses and opposition groups describe a deadly, ongoing cycle of violence that blurs lines between military targets and civilian gatherings.