In a tragic and deadly attack, Myanmar's military carried out an airstrike on a Buddhist monastery in the Sagaing region, killing at least 23 civilians, including four children. The attack took place in the early hours of Friday in Lin Ta Lu village, about 35 km northwest of Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city.
The monastery building, which had become a shelter for over 150 people, was hit by a military jet around 1 am. Most of the people inside were villagers who had fled nearby conflict zones in search of safety. The airstrike also left around 30 people injured, with at least 10 in critical condition, according to reports.
Local resistance groups confirmed that all those killed were civilians, not fighters. They were mainly people displaced by fighting between the military and resistance forces.
One resistance member said, “They were just trying to stay safe. There were no weapons, no soldiers — only civilians, including children.”
The Democratic Voice of Burma, an independent news outlet, reported that the death toll might be even higher — possibly up to 30 people. However, this could not be officially confirmed at the time of reporting.
So far, Myanmar’s military has not issued a statement about the bombing. In past situations, the army has claimed that it only targets armed fighters, labeling them as “terrorists.” But this latest strike on a monastery-turned-shelter has drawn sharp criticism and increased concern about the humanitarian crisis in the country.
Myanmar has been in continuous conflict since February 2021, when the military overthrew the democratically elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. After the coup, peaceful protests were violently suppressed, and many citizens joined armed resistance groups like the People’s Defence Forces (PDF).
Since then, airstrikes and military raids have become common, especially in regions like Sagaing, which are strongholds of resistance. The resistance fighters have limited access to weapons and no protection against aerial attacks, putting civilians in even greater danger.
The airstrike on the Lin Ta Lu monastery came just weeks after a large military offensive nearby. According to sources from the resistance, the military had deployed hundreds of troops, tanks, and aircraft in an attempt to retake territory controlled by the resistance groups.
As a result of that earlier operation, thousands of people from nearby villages fled to safer areas — including Lin Ta Lu. The overcrowding in the monastery shows just how many lives were disrupted and forced into uncertainty by the ongoing fighting.
Opposition figures, including Nay Phone Latt, a spokesperson for the National Unity Government (NUG) — Myanmar’s shadow government formed by exiled lawmakers — said that the military is trying to reclaim as much territory as possible before holding elections.
The elections, expected later this year, are widely believed to be an attempt by the military to justify and legitimize their rule after the 2021 coup. Critics argue that these elections will be neither free nor fair, and will be used to help the generals stay in power through a controlled political process.
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This latest attack highlights how ordinary people are paying the highest price in Myanmar’s civil war. With no proper shelter, medical help, or safety, families are being forced to live in constant fear.
Airstrikes like the one on the Lin Ta Lu monastery show that nowhere is truly safe, not even religious places of refuge. Human rights groups and international organisations have repeatedly condemned these attacks, calling them war crimes and demanding global action.
The situation in Myanmar is becoming a full-blown humanitarian emergency. With thousands of people displaced, homes destroyed, and civilians killed, the country is spiraling deeper into chaos. There is limited access to food, medicine, or safe shelter, especially in resistance-held areas like Sagaing.
International efforts to bring peace or negotiate a ceasefire have so far failed. The people of Myanmar continue to suffer, caught between a power-hungry military regime and a struggling resistance movement.
As the conflict escalates, the world watches, but meaningful action remains limited. For the people of Lin Ta Lu and many others, the hope for peace feels increasingly out of reach.
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