Myanmar Airstrike Destroys Rakhine Hospital, Killing 30

An airstrike by Myanmar's military on Wednesday night destroyed a major hospital in the rebel-controlled Mrauk-U township of Rakhine State, killing at least 30 patients and medical staff while injuring more than 70 others, according to aid workers, local officials and a rebel group spokesman.

The attack targeted the 300-bed Mrauk-U General Hospital, which had become the primary healthcare facility for the region amid the ongoing civil war that has shuttered most other medical services. Wai Hun Aung, a senior rescue official in Rakhine, described arriving at the scene early Thursday to find the facility in ruins, with the recovery ward directly hit by one bomb and another exploding near the main building. "The situation is very terrible," he told reporters. "As for now, we can confirm there are 31 deaths and we think there will be more. Also, there are 68 wounded and will be more and more."

A jet fighter dropped the two bombs around 9:13 p.m., according to Wai Hun Aung. He reported counting 17 women and 17 men among the dead, with most of the hospital structure collapsed and nearby vehicles damaged by the blasts. Local media shared images and videos showing debris-strewn grounds,...