At least two civilians were killed and nine others were injured in a series of Myanmar Air Force strikes on three Buddhist monasteries across Sagaing Region’s Shwebo, Chaung-U, and Monywa townships from Oct. 7-11.
The targeted locations in Chaung-U and Shwebo—situated 16 to 58 miles (25 to 93 km) southeast and northeast of the regional capital, Monywa—are areas partially administered by the National Unity Government (NUG).
The military’s targeted strikes against religious compounds have inflicted unique hardships on the monastic community. A local Buddhist monk in Chaung-U confirmed that his monastery was completely destroyed in an Oct. 8 airstrike, though no casualties were reported.
He emphasized that aerial bombardments on religious grounds cause severe disruption during Buddhist Lent—observed from August to October—a period when monks are traditionally required to remain within their monasteries for intensive meditation and refrain from travel.
Due to the military’s frequent targeting of religious complexes in NUG-controlled territory, many monasteries have resorted to constructing underground bomb shelters within their compounds to protect resident clergy and retreatants.
The most severe casualties occurred on Oct. 11, when three rounds of airstrikes struck the historic Mahasi Buddhist monastery compound in Shwebo Township’s Seikkhun village.
Local residents reported that the attack killed two civilians and injured eight others while they were participating in a meditation retreat.
Representatives from the People’s Defence Force (PDF) in Shwebo noted that the monastery—historically presided over by the world-renowned Buddhist monk Mahasi Sayadaw Sobhana—had also been serving as a crucial shelter for internally displaced persons (IDPs) fleeing ground battles in neighboring villages since 2021.
Following the bombardment, Mandalay-based physician and pro-democracy activist Dr. Tayzar San condemned the regime’s actions, stating, “No race or religion can truly prosper in Myanmar as long as the country is under military control.”
The recent wave of strikes also affected younger clergy members and aligns with a documented pattern of regime attacks on religious shelters.
On Oct. 7, a military paramotor attack on a monastery in Monywa’s Pyankya village wounded a young Buddhist novice.
These strikes follow an earlier massacre on Aug, 21 in Myaung Township’s Swel Le Oh village, where a regime airstrike on a local monastery killed 15 people.
DVB data states tgat regime forces have committed at least 510 massacres—defined as single attacks resulting in five or more fatalities—killing at least 5,358 civilians across Myanmar since March 14, 2021.
