Fourteen people, mostly elderly, were killed in military air strikes at a monastery in Myanmar early on Friday, according to opposition fighters and a local rescue worker.
All of the victims were elderly, and several monks were injured in the double strike, the rescue worker told BBC Burmese.
The attack occurred at approximately 09:00 local time (02:30 GMT) in Myaung township, in the central Sagaing region, about 70 kilometers (47 miles) west of Mandalay. Civilians had gathered at the site for a meditation retreat to mark Buddhist Lent when the strikes occurred. Myanmar’s military has not yet issued a statement regarding the incident.
Nway Oo Myaung, a pro-democracy rebel, told AFP that the victims included 11 men and three women. Five of the deceased were from one village, while the remaining nine were from a neighboring township. He added that the victims were between the ages of 50 and 70.
“Older people had entered the meditation centers,” Myaung stated.
A second, unnamed opposition fighter described being part of the search and rescue efforts. “While we were trying to rescue people, the aircraft came to bomb a second time,” he said.
Myanmar has been locked in civil war since the military staged a 2021 coup ousting Aung San Suu Kyi, and has been under martial rule since. The military, which is frequently accused of carrying out strikes on public buildings, has previously said it only strikes legitimate targets.