Kyauktaw, September 13: At least 19 students, most of them teenagers, were killed when Myanmar’s military launched an overnight airstrike on two private high schools in Kyauktaw township of Rakhine State, according to the ethnic armed group Arakan Army (AA).
The deadly attack, which occurred just after midnight on Friday, saw a military warplane drop two 500-pound bombs on a school compound where students were sleeping, Myanmar Now reported, citing local sources. Victims ranged in age from 15 to 21, while 22 others were injured in the strike.
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) condemned the attack, describing it as a “brutal assault” that adds to the escalating cycle of violence in Rakhine. “This is part of a devastating pattern of attacks on schools, with children and families paying the ultimate price,” UNICEF said in a statement.
The Arakan Army, which has been battling junta forces for control of Rakhine, accused the military of deliberately targeting civilians. The group has gained significant ground in the past year as fighting intensified following the junta’s 2021 coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government.
Rights organisations and international observers have long accused Myanmar’s military of indiscriminate use of airstrikes and artillery in civilian-populated areas, a strategy aimed at crushing resistance movements across the country.
Communication challenges have hampered a full assessment of the tragedy, with internet and phone services around Kyauktaw township reported to be severely disrupted. Humanitarian agencies fear the casualty toll could rise as rescue efforts continue.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the February 2021 coup triggered a nationwide armed uprising. Rakhine State, in particular, has witnessed fierce battles between the junta and the Arakan Army, leaving civilians caught in the crossfire and schools, hospitals, and villages increasingly at risk of devastating attacks.
