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Deadly air strikes hit civilian hospital in western Myanmar
At least 34 people died and dozens more were wounded when Myanmar's military launched air strikes on a hospital in Rakhine state late Wednesday, according to local sources. The facility, located in Mrauk-U town, is under the control of the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed group battling the junta.
Casualties and damage reported
The attack occurred around 21:00 local time (14:30 GMT), with the Arakan Army's health department stating that 10 patients were killed immediately. Images circulating on social media show extensive damage: collapsed roofs, shattered hospital beds, and debris scattered across the complex.
Khaing Thukha, a spokesperson for the Arakan Army, condemned the strike as a "vicious attack" on civilians, demanding the military take responsibility. Most victims were patients, he told the BBC.
Military escalation amid civil war
Myanmar's junta has intensified air strikes in recent months to reclaim territory from ethnic armed groups, including the use of paragliders to drop bombs. The military, which seized power in a 2021 coup, has faced years of resistance, with thousands killed and millions displaced.
Analysts say recent support from China and Russia-providing advanced technology and equipment-has helped the junta regain ground. Earlier this year, an army paraglider bombed a religious festival crowd, killing over 20 people.
Election looms amid repression
The strikes coincide with Myanmar's first election since the coup, scheduled for December 28. The junta claims the vote will restore stability, but critics dismiss it as a "sham." The UN's human rights expert on Myanmar, Tom Andrews, has warned the election will lack fairness.
In recent weeks, authorities have arrested civilians accused of disrupting the vote, including a man charged with posting anti-election messages on Facebook. The junta is also searching for 10 activists linked to protests, while opposition groups have vowed to boycott the polls.
The military has not commented on the hospital attack, though pro-junta Telegram accounts deny targeting civilians.
Wider conflict and crackdown
The junta's brutal tactics extend beyond the battlefield. Rights groups estimate tens of thousands of political dissidents have been detained since the coup, with civil liberties severely curtailed. Ethnic armies, including the Arakan Army, continue to resist, but the military's air campaign has shifted the conflict's momentum.
"This is the latest vicious attack by the terrorist military targeting civilian places."
Khaing Thukha, Arakan Army spokesperson
