Myanmar Airstrike Kills 19 Students in Rakhine, UNICEF Condemns Attack
Kyauktaw
At least 19 high school students were killed and 22 others injured when a military airstrike hit two private schools in Kyauktaw township, western Rakhine State, according to the Arakan Army (AA), an ethnic armed group. The attack took place just after midnight on Friday, targeting students between the ages of 15 and 21 while they were asleep.
The AA, engaged in fierce clashes with Myanmar’s military junta for control over Rakhine, blamed the junta for the strike. Local reports suggested that a warplane dropped two 500-pound bombs on the school premises, causing widespread devastation. AFP was unable to independently verify the attack due to limited connectivity in the area.
UNICEF strongly condemned the strike, calling it “brutal” and noting that it “adds to a pattern of increasingly devastating violence in Rakhine State, with children and families paying the ultimate price.” The Rakhine conflict forms part of the larger crisis engulfing Myanmar since the military overthrew the civilian government led by Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021, which sparked a nationwide armed uprising.
The junta, facing resistance in multiple regions, has repeatedly been accused of using air and artillery strikes on civilian areas. The AA expressed deep sorrow alongside the families of the victims, highlighting the worsening humanitarian toll and the vulnerability of children in the conflict zone. Observers fear that continued fighting and attacks could further escalate the violence, putting more innocent lives at risk and deepening the crisis in Rakhine State.
