Myanmar Airstrike on Rakhine Hospital Kills More Than 30 Ahead of Controversial Elections
A Myanmar military aircraft carried out a deadly airstrike on a hospital in western Rakhine state on Wednesday evening, killing more than 30 people and injuring many others. The strike hit the general hospital in Mrauk-U, a historic town now caught in intensifying conflict just weeks before the junta’s planned national polls.
Witnesses described scenes of severe destruction as rescuers struggled through the night. An aid worker present at the site told AFP that the situation was “very terrible,” warning that the number of dead would almost certainly rise as more bodies were recovered. Nearly 20 bodies were seen outside the hospital shortly after the attack, while the Arakan Army’s health department said at least 10 patients were killed instantly when the bombs fell around 9 pm local time.
The military has not issued any official comment. Independent conflict monitors say the junta has increasingly turned to air power since seizing control in the February 2021 coup that toppled Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government. Airstrikes have become a hallmark of the military’s attempts to crush resistance movements across the country.
The hospital lies in territory held by the Arakan Army (AA), a powerful ethnic armed group that is part of the Three Brotherhood Alliance, one of the most coordinated anti-junta coalitions in Myanmar. Fighting in Rakhine has surged in recent months as AA forces capture territory and the military intensifies retaliatory operations. A sweeping blockade imposed by the junta has already pushed large areas of the state toward acute food shortages, with the World Food Programme warning of rapidly escalating hunger. The latest strike deepens an already dire humanitarian crisis.
The attack also comes at a politically sensitive moment. The junta plans to hold national elections soon, claiming they are necessary to restore order. China has expressed support for the process, calling it a step toward stability. However, the United Nations and several international governments argue that any election conducted amid widespread displacement, violence, and media censorship cannot be considered credible.
The bombing of a medical facility — protected under international humanitarian law — has sparked renewed calls for global action. Rights groups say the strike reflects the worsening brutality of Myanmar’s civil war and underscores the urgent need for stronger international pressure on the junta.
