Saturday, March 29, 2025
Myanmar remains engulfed in a devastating civil war, and the violence intensified on the night of December 10, when a deadly airstrike hit a hospital in Rakhine State, killing at least 34 people and injuring around 80 others. According to local sources, the attack targeted a hospital believed to be sheltering or treating fighters from the rebel group Arakan Army. As of now, the Myanmar military and government have issued no official statement regarding the strike.
The Associated Press (AP), citing a local rescue worker and independent media reports, confirmed that the airstrike killed dozens of patients and medical staff. The bombing occurred late Wednesday night in Mrauk-U Township, a conflict-heavy region where rebel forces have been advancing and expanding control.
The hospital, located in a zone dominated by the Arakan Army, suffered extensive destruction. Witnesses say a fighter jet dropped two bombs around 9:13 PM—one hitting the hospital’s recovery ward and the other exploding near the main structure. The blast destroyed significant parts of the building and damaged nearby parked vehicles, including taxis and motorcycles.
Rescue teams who reached the site Thursday morning reported the deaths of 17 men and 17 women, totaling 34 casualties. The number of injured is estimated at more than 80. Photographs and videos shared by Rakhine-based media outlets show the hospital reduced to rubble, with collapsed walls, shattered medical equipment, and debris scattered across the compound.
The hospital had recently resumed operations to provide essential healthcare after many medical facilities in Rakhine shut down due to the escalating civil war. It served as the region’s primary medical center.
Mrauk-U, located about 530 km northwest of Yangon, fell under Arakan Army control in February last year. The Arakan Army is the armed wing of the Rakhine ethnic movement that has long demanded greater autonomy from Myanmar’s central government.
In November 2023, the group launched a major offensive in Rakhine State, seizing a key regional military command center and gaining control of 14 out of 17 townships. The ongoing clashes between the junta and rebel forces have intensified humanitarian distress across the region.
Despite widespread reports pointing to the military, Myanmar’s ruling junta has not acknowledged conducting the strike. Independent investigations and global reactions are expected as more details emerge about one of the deadliest attacks on medical facilities during the country’s civil conflict.
