Myanmar Airstrike on Rakhine Hospital Leaves 31 Dead as Conflict Intensifies

A deadly airstrike carried out by Myanmar’s military junta has struck a civilian hospital in Rakhine State, killing at least 31 people and leaving dozens injured in one of the deadliest single attacks on medical infrastructure since the conflict escalated. According to local humanitarian workers, the strike occurred early Tuesday when the facility was treating a surge of patients fleeing intensified clashes in the region.

Eyewitnesses said that the bombs hit the main ward of the hospital without warning, reducing the building to rubble and instantly killing medical staff, patients, women, and children seeking refuge. Community volunteers who arrived shortly after the attack described scenes of chaos, with survivors desperately searching for their loved ones amid debris and rising smoke.

The Arakan Army, one of the ethnic armed groups fighting against the junta, condemned the attack, saying it represented a blatant violation of international humanitarian law. According to statements by local resistance groups, the hospital had no military presence and was clearly marked as a civilian medical facility, raising concerns that the strike may have been deliberate.

Reports by regional monitoring organisations indicated that the junta has stepped up aerial assaults across Rakhine in recent weeks as it attempts to reclaim territory lost to advancing rebel forces. Observers noted that the attack aligns with what they described as an increasingly aggressive strategy aimed at weakening morale in rebel-controlled areas by targeting infrastructure essential for civilian survival.

Humanitarian agencies operating near the Bangladesh border also raised alarms, stating that the destruction of a major hospital would worsen an already dire health situation. According to medical volunteers working in makeshift clinics, many of the wounded are now unable to access proper treatment due to the lack of functioning facilities and the ongoing threat of further air raids.

International rights groups have repeated calls for an arms embargo and stronger global action, warning that unchecked military operations could lead to further mass casualties. As of Wednesday, rescue teams continued to recover bodies from the site, indicating that the death toll may rise in the coming days.