Guwahati: A devastating airstrike by Myanmar’s military targeted a school in central Myanmar’s Sagaing region on Monday, May 12, reportedly killing at least 20 students and two teachers, according to resistance sources, humanitarian workers, and independent media outlets.
The airstrike struck Ohe Htein Twin village in Tabayin Township also known as Depayin shortly after 9 am, during school hours. Dozens more were injured in the bombing, many of them students ranging from primary to high school levels. The school was being run by pro-democracy forces opposed to military rule.
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Local sources say the airstrike came without warning, and the attack severely damaged three nearby houses in addition to the school. Despite the scale of the tragedy, Myanmar’s military government and state-controlled media have yet to comment on the incident.
A resistance fighter from the White Depayin People’s Defence Force (PDF), who was among the first to reach the scene, confirmed the attack and casualty count to The Associated Press. Speaking on condition of anonymity due to security concerns, he said there had been no recent fighting in the area, contradicting the military’s typical justification that resistance fighters use civilian locations for cover.
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Nay Phone Latt, spokesperson for the opposition National Unity Government (NUG), corroborated the reports and warned that the death toll could rise. He accused the military of intentionally targeting civilians in schools, hospitals, monasteries, and refugee shelters, in an effort to intimidate the population and discourage support for the resistance.
Casualty figures reported by local independent media vary, with numbers ranging from 17 to over 20 fatalities. A humanitarian volunteer working with displaced people in Tabayin, also speaking anonymously, said at least 12 student deaths had been confirmed so far, with 30 to 50 more injured.
The Sagaing region, located near Myanmar’s border with India, has been a central stronghold of armed resistance since the military seized power in a 2021 coup, overthrowing the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The junta has increasingly relied on air power to suppress opposition, leaving resistance groups vulnerable due to their lack of anti-air capabilities.
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This is not the first instance of schools being hit by airstrikes. In September 2022, a similar assault in Let Yet Kone village, also in Tabayin Township, killed at least 13 people, including seven children. In April 2023, another airstrike in Pazigyi village, Kanbalu Township, killed up to 160 people attending an anti-junta ceremony.
Even in the aftermath of the powerful March 28 earthquake that rocked Myanmar, reports deemed credible by the United Nations and human rights organizations indicated that the military continued to carry out airstrikes, despite declared ceasefires aimed at facilitating disaster relief.
The latest attack underscores growing international concerns about the military’s escalating use of indiscriminate violence against civilians in Myanmar’s ongoing conflict.