Myanmar military strike kills 14 people at a Buddhist monastery, opposition group says
An airstrike by the Myanmar military on a Buddhist monastery in the Sagaing region has resulted in 14 deaths and 20 injuries. The attack occurred during a meditation retreat, marking another incident in the ongoing conflict between the military and pro-democracy forces.
Why it matters
This incident highlights the escalating violence and the disregard for civilian safety in Myanmar's ongoing civil unrest.
An airstrike on Friday (August 21, 2026) by Myanmar’s military on a Buddhist monastery in Myanmar’s central Sagaing region killed 14 people who were taking part in a week-long meditation retreat, an opposition group and a resident said.
The attack is the latest in a series of frequent and deadly aerial strikes targeting armed pro-democracy forces and ethnic armed groups in the country. The strikes often cause civilian casualties.
The attack occurred on Friday (August 21) at 9 a.m. in Swel Le Oh village in Myaung township, about 75 kilometres (45 miles) west of Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city, according to Nway Oo, a spokesperson for the Civil Defence and Security Organization of Myaung Township, or CDSOM.
Nway Oo said 14 people, including three women, were killed and 20 others were wounded when a jet fighter dropped a bomb in the compound of the village’s monastery.
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