SAGAING, May 13: An airstrike by Myanmar’s military on a village in the central Sagaing region reportedly killed as many as 22 people, including 20 students and two teachers, according to a member of a resistance group, an aid worker, and media reports. The attack occurred Monday morning in Ohe Htein Twin village in Tabayin township, also known as Depayin, and left dozens of students wounded. The village school was struck while students from primary to high school levels were in class after 9 a.m.
State-run MRTV television denied the airstrike on Monday evening, claiming that “subversive media outlets” were spreading false information. However, Myanmar’s military has increasingly turned to airstrikes since it seized power in February 2021 from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. According to nongovernmental organizations, more than 6,600 civilians have been killed by security forces since the military takeover.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed deep concern over the reports of the airstrike, noting that “even in times of armed conflict, schools must be protected,” according to his spokesperson Stephane Dujarric. The incident occurred despite the Myanmar military’s announcement of an extended ceasefire until May 31, aimed at facilitating relief efforts following a March 28 earthquake in the region. Dujarric emphasized that reports of attacks in Sagaing and other quake-impacted areas worsen the already dire humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, where over one-third of the population requires aid.
A member of the White Depayin People’s Defence Force, a local resistance group, said a fighter jet dropped a bomb directly on the school. The area lies about 115 kilometers (70 miles) northwest of Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city. The resistance member, who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity due to fear of arrest, said around 50 others were injured and three nearby houses were also damaged. He added there had been no recent clashes in the area, though Sagaing is a known resistance stronghold.
Nay Phone Latt, spokesperson for the opposition’s National Unity Government, confirmed the casualty figures and warned that the death toll could rise. He accused the military of deliberately targeting civilian sites such as monasteries, refugee camps, schools, and hospitals under the pretense that resistance fighters were present, calling it an attempt to alienate public support for the resistance.
The military’s denial aired on state television quoted an unnamed local official asserting that the army was only trying to maintain peace in the region, while blaming “terrorists” for shelling and drone attacks against villages that don’t support them.
Independent Myanmar media reports on the bombing cited varying death tolls ranging from 17 to over 20. A local volunteer aiding displaced people in Tabayin, who requested anonymity due to fears of government retaliation, stated that 12 student deaths had been confirmed and 30 to 50 others were wounded.
Sagaing, located near the Indian border, has emerged as a center of armed resistance. The military has ramped up airstrikes there, particularly targeting pro-democracy People’s Defense Forces. These resistance fighters have limited capability to defend against air attacks.
