AP — An airstrike by the Myanmar military on Friday (21) targeting a temple in Sagaing Region in the center of the country killed 14 people who were taking part in a week-long meditation retreat, according to villagers and resistance groups.
The attack is the latest in a series of frequent and intense airstrikes targeting pro-democracy forces and ethnic armed groups in the country, though such strikes often result in civilian deaths as well.
The strike occurred on Friday at 9:00 a.m. in Swe Le O village in Myaung Township, approximately 75 kilometers west of Mandalay, the country's second-largest city, according to Nwe Oo, a spokesperson for the Civil Defense and Security Organization of Myaung (CDSOM).
Nwe Oo said 14 people were killed and 20 others were wounded when a warplane dropped bombs on the temple grounds of the village.
A villager who asked not to be identified confirmed the death toll to the AP, saying the warplane dropped two bombs 15 minutes apart, with the second bomb damaging a house located near the temple.
The villager also said the temple had been sheltering nearly 70 flood victims, in addition to those attending the week-long meditation retreat during the Buddhist Lent period.
Villagers who lost relatives in the airstrike said people had evacuated to nearby communities after burying the dead.
