Post by : Rameen Ariff

In a tragic incident in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state, a military airstrike on a general hospital reportedly killed more than 30 people, including patients, medical staff, and children, while injuring around 80 others. The attack took place in Mrauk-U township, an area controlled by the Arakan Army, and has drawn widespread condemnation from international organisations.

The Myanmar military, in a statement carried by the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar, acknowledged carrying out an airstrike on the hospital. The military claimed the facility was being used by armed opposition groups, including the Arakan Army and the People’s Defense Force, as a base for operations. The statement emphasised that those killed or injured were members of opposition forces and their supporters, not civilians.

However, eyewitness accounts and local rescue officials strongly dispute this claim. A senior rescue official in Rakhine told the Associated Press that 34 people, including patients and hospital staff, were killed when two bombs were dropped by a military jet fighter, completely destroying the hospital building on Wednesday night.

The United Nations condemned the airstrike, highlighting that attacks on civilian infrastructure are part of a broader pattern that is devastating communities across Myanmar. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, expressed shock at the attack, noting that it will severely disrupt access to healthcare for entire communities in Rakhine.

Mrauk-U, located approximately 530 kilometers northwest of Yangon, has been under the control of the Arakan Army since February 2024. The Arakan Army, a well-trained and armed wing of the Rakhine ethnic minority movement, seeks autonomy from Myanmar’s central government. Since November 2023, the group has launched an offensive in Rakhine, capturing a strategically important regional army headquarters and 14 of the state’s 17 townships.

Following the hospital attack, the Arakan Army vowed to pursue accountability in cooperation with international organisations. The group also reported that the military launched a series of night-time airstrikes in five towns across Rakhine, killing at least eight civilians and injuring ten others.

Myanmar has been engulfed in political turmoil since the army seized power in February 2021. The takeover sparked widespread protests and armed opposition, leaving much of the country in ongoing conflict. The Rakhine airstrike has reignited concerns about the safety of civilians and the use of military force against critical infrastructure in the ongoing unrest.

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