Myanmar Airstrikes Reportedly Kill at Least 15 Near Clinic and School
Aid workers and rights monitors say airstrikes in Myanmar’s Rakhine and Kayah states killed at least 15 people, including a week-old baby and three students.
At least 15 people, including a newborn baby, were reported killed in Myanmar airstrikes over the weekend, with a maternity clinic and a school among the locations affected, according to aid workers, rights monitors and local reporting on Monday, 2 November.
The reports describe strikes in western Rakhine state on Sunday, 1 November, and a separate attack on a school in the eastern state of Kayah, also called Karenni, on Saturday, 31 October. Reuters cited an ethnic armed group and other observers, while Anadolu Agency reported accounts from independent media covering Myanmar.
The precise toll and circumstances of individual strikes could not immediately be independently established. A spokesperson for Myanmar's military-backed government did not respond to Reuters' request for comment on the latest allegations.
Civilian facilities caught in the fighting
In Rakhine, aircraft reportedly struck Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U, Pauktaw and Kyaukphyu. An Arakan Army spokesperson and an aid worker told Reuters that at least 12 people died and 32 were injured in the western state. A makeshift maternity clinic in Mrauk-U was among the locations hit; reports said a week-old infant was killed while the baby’s twin survived.
In a separate attack on a school in Loikaw township, Kayah state, three students were reported killed. Local witnesses and rights monitors gave differing early injury figures. The 12 deaths reported in Rakhine and three at the school together account for the provisional total of at least 15.
The incidents come as Myanmar's military seeks to regain territory it has lost to resistance movements. Fighting has continued across several regions since the February 2021 coup ended the country's previous civilian-led government.
Difficult conditions for independent verification
Many parts of Myanmar remain inaccessible to outside journalists and humanitarian organisations. Communications failures, active fighting and restrictions on travel can delay confirmation of casualties and damage. For those reasons, estimates published in the first days after an attack are often provisional.
The military has previously described its campaign as operations against groups it labels terrorists. That stated position does not independently establish whether civilians or protected facilities were struck in these reported incidents.
Aid organisations have repeatedly warned that civilians face danger not only from direct attacks but also from displacement and reduced access to medical treatment. A damaged maternity clinic or school can disrupt essential services well beyond the day of an incident.
Independent investigations would be needed to establish the full circumstances and responsibility for each strike.
Sources and further reading: Investing.com (Reuters syndication) · Anadolu Agency · Reuters · Burma News International / Kantarawaddy Times.
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Musa Ersoy
Musa Ersoy is an editor and writer at DEFUXA Global News, covering developments in the United Kingdom and around the world. He researches news stories using official statements, credible sources and independently verifiable information. His editorial work focuses on factual ac…
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