August 21, 2026. (People’s Spring)
At least 12 civilians were killed and many others injured when junta aircraft bombed a monastery in Swe Le Oh Village, Myaung Township, Sagaing Region, on August 21, while people were observing the Buddhist Sabbath.
The attack took place on a day when Buddhists traditionally observe the Sabbath, with worshippers gathered at the monastery when the junta launched the airstrike.
“The bombs directly hit the chapel building. At least 10 people, including the abbot, were killed,” a local source told People’s Spring.
Public Service Announcement
A fighter jet that took off from Tada-U Airbase in Mandalay Region dropped four bombs on the monastery in Swe Le Oh Village at around 9:00 a.m. on August 21. The bombs struck the chapel, where a large number of people had gathered, resulting in heavy casualties. Aid workers were also scrambling to provide emergency treatment to the wounded, the source added.
“At first, we found six bodies. But the death toll has now risen to 10. There were also many people injured,” he said.
Later reports revealed the death toll from the airstrike had risen to 12, with around 20 people injured.
The monastery had opened its chapel for a Sabbath session, drawing a large crowd of worshippers that day. A seven-day meditation session was also being held at the monastery, bringing even more people to the site.
Myaung is one of the areas in Sagaing Region where the junta has little control. Locals have been repeatedly exposed to airstrikes and are struggling with deaths and injuries caused by the attacks.
On August 19, the junta also carried out a bombing strike on Hlaytinu Village in the same township, killing 2 civilians and injuring 19 others. Several women were also reportedly killed in an air raid on the night of August 20.
Resistance forces have urged residents to remain alert as the junta ramps up its air assaults, while fears among local communities continue to grow.
Coup leader Min Aung Hlaing and his regime have used propaganda to portray themselves as champions of nationalism and protectors of Buddhism. In reality, the junta has repeatedly targeted monasteries and pagodas with airstrikes, artillery shelling and arson attacks.
Such brutal attacks by the junta have affected not only Buddhist religious buildings but also Christian, Islamic and other religious sites. Regardless of religion, ethnicity or location, the junta has continued to carry out bombings, arson attacks and violent killings across Myanmar.
