In western Rakhine State, Myanmar, a military airstrike has killed 19 students, aged between 15 and 21 years, while another 22 students were injured.
A local ethnic minority armed group reported that the strike targeted two secondary schools in Kyauk Taw Township. According to sources, a military aircraft dropped a 500-pound bomb on sleeping students.
Since the 2021 overthrow of Aung San Suu Kyi’s government, Myanmar’s military has been engaged in ongoing conflict with the Arakan Army to maintain control over Rakhine. In a Saturday post, the Arakan Army condoled the families of the victims and blamed the junta forces for the attack.
The incident has drawn international condemnation, including from UNICEF, which denounced the brutality of the attack.