Myanmar Military Airstrikes Target Civilian Hospital in Rakhine State: At Least 9 Dead

Deadly Bombing Marks Escalation in Western Myanmar Conflict

In a devastating escalation of Myanmar’s ongoing civil conflict, military jets conducted an airstrike on a hospital in the historic town of Mrauk-U in western Rakhine State, killing at least nine civilians and wounding dozens more. According to local witnesses and rebel sources, two bombs were deliberately dropped on the medical facility Tuesday morning, creating scenes of chaos and carnage in what international observers are calling a clear violation of humanitarian law.

“The jets came suddenly, circling once before releasing their payload directly onto the hospital building,” described Ko Aung, a local resident who witnessed the attack from approximately 300 meters away. “There was no warning, no military target nearby. The intention was clearly to hit the hospital where civilians were receiving treatment.”

The targeted medical facility served as one of the few remaining functional healthcare centers in a region increasingly devastated by intensified fighting between the Myanmar military junta, which seized power in February 2021, and the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed organization seeking greater autonomy for the Rakhine people. Medical staff reported that the facility was at near capacity when the bombs struck, with patients being treated for various conditions including casualties from previous military operations in surrounding villages.

Military Denies Targeting Civilians Despite Growing Evidence

Myanmar’s military government, formally known as the State Administration Council, has denied deliberately targeting the hospital, claiming their operation focused on “terrorist strongholds” in the area. In a statement released through state-controlled media, military spokesperson Major General Zaw Min Tun asserted that any civilian casualties were the result of Arakan Army fighters using the hospital as a shield for their operations.

“The Tatmadaw [Myanmar military] conducts precision operations against legitimate military targets only,” the statement read. “Any suggestion that we deliberately target civilian infrastructure is categorically false and represents propaganda from terrorist organizations seeking to undermine the legitimate government.”

These claims, however, contradict multiple eyewitness accounts and evidence gathered by local human rights monitors. Satellite imagery analyzed by independent conflict assessment organizations shows no military installations in the immediate vicinity of the hospital, and survivors report no presence of armed combatants at the facility prior to the bombing.

Dr. Sein Win, who was treating patients when the first bomb hit, provided a harrowing account of the attack: “We are clearly marked as a medical facility with red cross symbols visible from the air. There had never been any military activity inside our walls. We treat anyone who needs care, regardless of affiliation. This was a deliberate attack on healthcare infrastructure, plain and simple.”

Humanitarian Crisis Deepens in Rakhine State

The hospital bombing represents just the latest crisis point in Rakhine State, a region already suffering from years of conflict, displacement, and humanitarian challenges. Once home to one of Myanmar’s most severe ethnic cleansing campaigns against Rohingya Muslims in 2017, Rakhine has seen renewed violence since the military coup that overthrew the democratically elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi.

“This attack dramatically worsens an already dire humanitarian situation,” explained Min Thu, a coordinator with the Rakhine Emergency Response Network. “With this hospital destroyed, thousands of civilians now have nowhere to receive essential medical care. The nearest functioning facility is over 80 kilometers away through active conflict zones and military checkpoints.”

The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates that over 350,000 people have been displaced within Rakhine State since fighting intensified in November 2023, with access to food, clean water, medicine, and shelter increasingly restricted by military blockades. International aid organizations have repeatedly been denied entry to affected areas, leaving local volunteer networks overwhelmed by the scale of need.

“Before the bombing, our hospital was treating approximately 200 patients daily with extremely limited resources,” said Ma Khin, a nurse who survived the attack with minor injuries. “We were the last hope for many families in this region. Now, pregnant women have nowhere to deliver safely, children with treatable illnesses will suffer needlessly, and the wounded from this ongoing conflict will die without care.”

International Condemnation and Calls for Accountability

The hospital bombing has drawn swift condemnation from international bodies and human rights organizations. The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres issued a statement expressing “profound alarm” over the targeting of medical infrastructure, calling it “a serious violation of international humanitarian law” and demanding an immediate independent investigation.

Representatives from several diplomatic missions in Myanmar, including those from the European Union, United Kingdom, and United States, released a joint statement condemning the attack and calling for unrestricted humanitarian access to affected communities. “Deliberate attacks against healthcare facilities constitute war crimes under the Geneva Conventions,” the statement noted. “Those responsible must be held accountable under international law.”

Human rights organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have documented a pattern of similar attacks on civilian infrastructure throughout Myanmar since the coup, suggesting a systematic military strategy rather than isolated incidents. Their investigations indicate that since February 2021, Myanmar’s military has bombed or shelled at least 33 hospitals, 37 schools, and numerous places of worship across the country.

“This fits an established pattern of the junta deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure to terrorize populations in areas where resistance is strong,” explained Manny Maung, Myanmar researcher at Human Rights Watch. “By destroying hospitals, they not only kill civilians in the immediate attack but ensure many more will die from lack of medical care in the weeks and months that follow. It’s a cruel force multiplier intended to break civilian support for resistance forces.”

Survivors Recount Horror and Aftermath of Hospital Bombing

The human toll of the Mrauk-U hospital bombing extends far beyond the initial casualty figures. Survivors describe scenes of horror as medical staff, already working under extreme pressure with limited supplies, suddenly became casualties themselves while trying to save others.

Nyi Nyi Lwin, a 43-year-old father of three, had brought his youngest daughter to the hospital that morning for treatment of a respiratory infection. “We were waiting to see the doctor when the first explosion happened,” he recounted while nursing a shrapnel wound to his shoulder. “The ceiling collapsed immediately. I covered my daughter with my body as dust and debris filled the air. People were screaming everywhere. When I looked up, I saw medical staff continuing to help patients despite their own injuries. Their courage was incredible.”

In the bombing’s aftermath, community members rushed to the scene to assist with rescue efforts, digging through rubble with bare hands to locate survivors. Local monks from nearby temples opened their facilities to treat the wounded, while volunteer networks mobilized what limited medical supplies remained available in the area.

Ma Thein, a community health worker who participated in the rescue operation, described the challenges they faced: “Without proper equipment, we could only use what we had – flashlights, shovels, whatever was available. We worked through the night, hearing voices calling from beneath collapsed walls but often unable to reach them in time. The second bomb had destroyed our ambulance, so we transported the injured on motorcycles and farm trucks. Many died simply because we couldn’t get them to adequate care quickly enough.”

Conflict Intensifies as Myanmar’s Democratic Aspirations Fade

The hospital bombing occurs against the backdrop of a widening conflict that has engulfed much of Myanmar since the military seized power over three years ago. What began as peaceful protests against the coup has evolved into a complex nationwide armed resistance, with the military increasingly losing control of territory to various ethnic armed organizations and People’s Defense Forces.

Analysts monitoring the situation note that the military’s escalation of airstrikes against civilian targets reflects its weakening position on the ground. “When conventional forces begin regularly targeting civilian infrastructure, it often indicates they’re losing the ability to engage resistance forces effectively through traditional means,” explained Dr. Sai Kyi, a security analyst specializing in Southeast Asian conflicts. “The junta is increasingly reliant on its air superiority, one of the few military advantages it still maintains.”

For Myanmar’s civilians caught in the crossfire, the prospects for peace seem increasingly remote. International diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis have stalled, with ASEAN’s Five-Point Consensus peace plan yielding little tangible progress. Meanwhile, the military government continues to reject calls for dialogue with opposition forces and has scheduled controversial elections that most observers believe are designed to legitimize its rule rather than restore democratic governance.

“Three years ago, we were protesting peacefully for our democracy,” reflected U Myint, a former civil servant now living in a displacement camp near the Bangladesh border. “Today, our hospitals are being bombed, our villages burned, and our future grows darker by the day. The world must not look away from what is happening to us.”

As night fell over Mrauk-U, the historical city once known for its ancient archaeological treasures now illuminated by fires from the hospital bombing, local residents gathered to conduct emergency funerals for those killed. In accordance with Buddhist traditions, monks chanted prayers for the deceased, while survivors vowed to rebuild their community despite the overwhelming challenges ahead. For Myanmar’s civilians, resilience has become not just a virtue but a necessity for survival in one of the world’s most protracted and devastating contemporary conflicts.