Myanmar junta air strike on hospital kills 31
A Myanmar military air strike on a hospital in western Rakhine state killed at least 31 people and wounded dozens more, an aid worker on the ground said Thursday, underscoring the junta’s escalating campaign to tighten control ahead of elections set to begin later this month.
The attack targeted the general hospital in Mrauk-U on Wednesday evening, according to aid worker Wai Hun Aung, who described the aftermath as 'devastating.' He said 31 deaths had been confirmed so far, adding that the toll was expected to rise as critically injured patients continued to arrive. At least 68 people were wounded.
Footage from the scene showed rows of bodies wrapped in cloth lying outside the hospital through the night, while rescue workers struggled to pull survivors from the rubble. The military has not issued any public statement, and repeated attempts to reach a junta spokesman were unsuccessful.
The strike comes as the military accelerates air attacks across the country, with conflict monitors reporting a sharp year-on-year rise in aerial bombardments since Myanmar’s civil war erupted following the 2021 coup that toppled Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government.
The junta has scheduled phased national elections beginning 28 December, presenting the vote as a step toward political stability. However, resistance forces, including the Arakan Army (AA), have vowed to block the polls in areas under their control. Much of Rakhine state is governed de facto by the AA, which has expanded its territorial hold dramatically over the past year.
The AA’s health department said at least 10 hospitalised patients were “killed instantly” when the bomb hit around 9:00 pm local time. Local officials and residents said the strike appeared aimed at weakening the AA’s administrative and medical networks, which have grown stronger as the junta loses ground in several regions.
The attack on a civilian hospital adds to growing international concern over alleged war crimes committed by the Myanmar military. Humanitarian groups have documented repeated cases of schools, clinics, monasteries and displacement camps being shelled or bombed since the military intensified its nationwide offensive earlier this year.
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