At least five civilians, including two children, were killed and 17 others—including nine children—were injured by airstrikes carried out by the Myanmar Air Force on Sein Nyin Wa village of Paletwa Township, Chin State, on Monday. Paletwa, located along the Myanmar-India border 287 miles (462 km) south of the Chin State capital Hakha, was seized by the Arakan Army (AA) in January 2024.
The AA reported that the monastery, which housed a primary school, and 17 homes were destroyed by two regime jet fighters. A Paletwa resident, who witnessed the airstrikes, told DVB that classes were in session for children at the school inside the monastery when the attack happened.
A source close to the health department run by the United League of Arakan (ULA), the AA political wing, told DVB that six of the 17 injured were in critical condition at the hospital.
An airstrike on a Buddhist monastery in Sagaing Region’s Myaung Township killed 14 people who were taking part in a week-long mediation retreat on Aug. 21. Myaung, located 36 miles (57 km) southeast of the region’s capital Monywa, is contested by local resistance forces.
The U.N. Independent Investigative Mechanism for Myanmar (IIMM) accused regime forces of conducting systematic aerial bombardments against civilians in the lead-up to military-backed elections in its 2026 Annual Report released on Aug. 11.
The IIMM has documented at least seven schools or educational institutions hit by airstrikes in Arakan, Chin, Karenni, and Shan states, as well as Sagaing Region, from September 2022 to 2025.
The Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) Project reported on July 27 that the military targets schools, hospitals, churches, and monasteries, to maximize psychological impact on civilians as part of its “terror strategy.”
At least 2,610 people have been killed, and 5,160 others have been injured in 3,795 aerial attacks, including airstrikes, drone, paramotor and gyrocopter attacks, since March 28, 2025, according to DVB data.
The AA has seized control of 14 Arakan townships, as well as Paletwa, since it launched a statewide offensive in November 2023. It has since expanded its attacks in neighbouring Ayeyarwady, Magway and Bago regions. Explore our Airstrikes Dashboard
