At least 23 dead after airstrike on Buddhist monastery in Myanmar
The strike hit around 1 a.m. on Thursday at Lin Ta Lu village in Sagaing township, about 35 kilometres northwest of Mandalay, Myanmar's second-largest city.
A member of a local resistance group told AP that a military jet dropped a bomb on a monastery building where more than 150 people were sheltering from ongoing fighting in the area. 'Twenty-three civilians, including four children, were killed. About 30 others were injured. Ten of them are in critical condition,' said the resistance member, who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.
The online news outlet Democratic Voice of Burma reported that the death toll could be as high as 30, but this has not been confirmed.
The Myanmar military has not commented on the incident. In previous statements, the army has said it only targets what it calls 'legitimate threats' and often labels resistance fighters as terrorists.
The monastery strike follows weeks of military operations in the region. According to the resistance member, the army recently launched a large offensive, using tanks and aircraft, just five kilometres from Lin Ta Lu. The attack was part of efforts to recapture areas under resistance control.
Many people from surrounding villages had fled to Lin Ta Lu in search of safety. Thousands have been displaced by the conflict, which has worsened since the military took control of the country in February 2021, overthrowing the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.
Nay Phone Latt, a spokesperson for the opposition's National Unity Government, told AP that the military has been trying to regain control of resistance-held areas ahead of elections planned for later this year. 'The regime wants to show strength before the vote, which they hope will help them stay in power,' he said.
The Sagaing region has been a centre of armed resistance, with many anti-coup groups operating there. The military has increasingly used airstrikes in such areas, while resistance forces lack the ability to defend against them.
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