Myanmar military has admitted conducting an air strike on a hospital in Rakhine state that killed 33 people. The army said the victims were members or supporters of armed opposition groups—not civilians—despite witnesses, aid workers, rebel forces, and the United Nations stating the opposite.
In a statement published by the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar, the military claimed that the Arakan Army and People’s Defence Force had used the hospital as a base of operations. According to the announcement, the air strike was part of what the army described as “necessary security measures” and a counterterrorism operation launched on Wednesday in Mrauk-U township.
UN and Global Health Officials Condemn the Attack
The United Nations strongly denounced the bombing, stressing that the hospital provided vital emergency, maternal, and surgical care to local communities. The UN said the attack reflects a disturbing pattern of military strikes harming civilians and civilian infrastructure across Myanmar’s conflict zones.
UN human rights chief Volker Türk condemned the assault “in the strongest possible terms,” warning that such actions may amount to war crimes. He called for a full investigation and accountability, insisting, “The fighting must stop now.”
World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also expressed shock, reporting that at least 33 people—including medical staff, patients, and family members—were killed. He added that the hospital was severely damaged, with operating theatres and the main inpatient ward completely destroyed.
Escalating Conflict in Rakhine and Across Myanmar
Myanmar remains locked in a prolonged civil war, with Mrauk-U—located about 530km northwest of Yangon—captured by the Arakan Army in February 2024. The Arakan Army, a well-trained and heavily armed ethnic Rakhine force seeking greater autonomy, began its offensive in November 2023 and has since seized a regional military command and taken control of 14 out of 17 townships in Rakhine.
The region has long been a flashpoint. Rakhine, once known as Arakan, was the site of a brutal military operation in 2017 that forced roughly 740,000 Rohingya Muslims to flee into Bangladesh. Tensions between the Buddhist Rakhine population and the Rohingya remain high.
In response to the hospital bombing, the Arakan Army vowed to pursue international accountability and work with global organisations to ensure justice, warning it would take “strong and decisive action” against the military.
Meanwhile, Myanmar’s junta has intensified air strikes ahead of elections scheduled for December 28. Critics argue the polls will be neither free nor fair and are intended solely to legitimise continued military rule.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the 2021 coup, which triggered massive public resistance. Many citizens have taken up arms, and large parts of the country are now engulfed in violent conflict as opposition groups continue battling the military.