Myanmar Airstrike on Rakhine Hospital Kills 31 Civilians

Myanmar's military airstrike on a hospital in the western state of Rakhine killed at least 31 civilians, including patients and health workers, and injured more than 70 others late Wednesday, drawing widespread international condemnation as a potential war crime.

The attack targeted MraukU General Hospital in MraukU township, an area under the control of the Arakan Army, one of the country's largest ethnic armed groups opposing military rule. A military jet dropped two bombs around 9:13 p.m., with one striking the recovery ward and the other landing near the main building, according to rescue workers who arrived at the scene early Thursday. The 300-bed facility, which had recently reopened to provide essential medical services amid widespread closures of other hospitals in Rakhine due to ongoing conflict, was left in ruins. Images from the site showed collapsed structures, shattered debris including medical equipment, and bodies laid out on the ground.

Wai Hun Aung, a senior rescue official in Rakhine, reported 34 deaths, evenly split between men and women, with most of the hospital building destroyed and nearby vehicles damaged. Khine Thu Kha, a spokesperson for the Arakan...