14 civilian casualties in Myanmar monastery strike

Early on Friday, a Myanmar military jet bombing raid struck a Buddhist monastery in the village of Chhay Hoe O, killing fourteen people. All of the victims were elderly, aged between 50 and 70, and a number of monks were also injured.

The attack, which occurred at about 9:00 local time (02:30 GMT), interrupted a meditation retreat marking Buddhist Lent. Reports from a local rescue worker and opposition fighters confirm the death toll and describe the site being hit twice.

According to the pro‑democracy rebel Nway Oo Myaung, the victims included 11 men and 3 women, with five from a single village and nine from a neighbouring township. He added that “older people had entered the meditation centre” when the strikes occurred.

A second unnamed opposition fighter was among those searching for survivors when the second aircraft initiated bombing run. "While we were trying to rescue people, the aircraft came to bomb a second time," he said.

The incident adds to Myanmar’s pattern of targeting public structures during the ongoing civil war that began after the military’s 2021 coup. The junta has yet to issue any comment on the attack.