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.

In Short

• Myanmar military airstrike hits Buddhist monastery in Sagaing
• 14 killed, 20 injured during meditation retreat
• Two bombs dropped, second hit nearby house

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)