Myanmar military says armed groups used hospital it bombed, killing dozens

"Witnesses, aid workers, rebel groups and the United Nations have said the victims were civilians at the hospital. In a statement published by the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper on Saturday, the military's information office said armed groups, including the ethnic Arakan Army and the People's Defence Force, used the hospital as their base. It said the military carried out necessary security measures and launched a counterterrorism operation against the general hospital in Mrauk-U township on Wednesday."

"The United Nations on Thursday condemned the attack on the facility providing emergency care, obstetrics and surgical services in the area, saying that it was part of a broader pattern of strikes causing harm to civilians and civilian objects that are devastating communities across the country. UN rights chief Volker Turk condemned the attacks in [the] strongest possible terms and demanded an investigation."

"World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said he was appalled. At least 33 people have been killed including health workers, patients and family members. Hospital infrastructure was severely damaged, with operating rooms and the main inpatient ward completely destroyed, he wrote on X. Myanmar has been gripped by attritional fighting in a raging civil war. Mrauk-U, located 530km (326 miles) northwest of Yangon, the country's largest city, was captured by the Arakan Army in February 2024."

The Myanmar military acknowledged an air strike on Mrauk-U general hospital that killed 33 people, asserting the victims were armed opposition members and supporters rather than civilians. Witnesses, aid workers, rebel groups and the United Nations said the victims were civilians receiving care at the hospital. The military said armed groups used the facility as a base and described the action as a counterterrorism operation. The UN condemned the attack on a facility providing emergency, obstetric and surgical services and urged investigations, while the WHO reported severe damage to hospital infrastructure and appalled reaction to the casualties.

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