An airstrike by Myanmar’s military has destroyed a hospital in Mrauk-U township, killing at least 34 patients and medical staff, according to rescue workers and multiple independent media reports on Thursday.
The attack took place late Wednesday in an area currently controlled by the ethnic Arakan Army (AA) in western Rakhine State, UNB reported. Around 80 others were injured when a military jet reportedly dropped two bombs on the hospital compound.
Wai Hun Aung, a senior Rakhine rescue official, told the Associated Press that one bomb struck the hospital’s recovery ward, while another landed near the main building at 9:13pm. He confirmed the deaths of 17 women and 17 men, noting that most of the facility had been reduced to rubble. Several parked taxis and motorbikes were also damaged.
Rakhine-based online media outlets released photos and videos showing collapsed structures, scattered medical equipment, and debris across the hospital grounds.
The facility had recently reopened after local doctors gathered in Mrauk-U to restore essential medical services. With most hospitals in Rakhine shut down due to ongoing conflict, it served as a critical lifeline for civilians.
Mrauk-U, located about 530 kilometers northwest of Yangon, fell under Arakan Army control in February 2024. The AA—armed wing of the Rakhine ethnic movement seeking autonomy—launched a major offensive in November 2023, capturing a regional military headquarters and 14 of Rakhine’s 17 townships.
The military, which seized power in a 2021 coup and is battling ethnic militias and pro-democracy resistance forces nationwide, has not acknowledged any strike in the area.
Rakhine, historically known as Arakan, remains deeply scarred by the military’s 2017 campaign that forced about 740,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee to Bangladesh. Tensions between Buddhist Rakhine communities and Rohingyas persist.
Myanmar’s shadow National Unity Government (NUG) condemned the airstrike, urging the international community to pressure the junta to stop attacks on civilians and deliver urgent humanitarian aid.
The country has been gripped by escalating conflict since the 2021 coup. As the junta pushes ahead with December 28 elections, critics argue the polls will be neither free nor fair, instead serving to legitimize continued military control. The military has intensified airstrikes ahead of the vote, particularly targeting the People’s Defense Force (PDF), which is aligned with the NUG.
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