A monastery in Chan Myae village,Kyaikto Township, Mon State, part of the Hngetpyawtaw village tract in Kyaikto Township, was struck by bombs from a junta aircraft on the morning of August 24, leaving three Buddhist monks dead and five others seriously injured, according to local residents.
The attack occurred at around 10:15 a.m. while eight monks were having their morning meal in the monastery’s dining hall.
“Two monks, both around 40 years old, were killed instantly inside the dining hall when the bomb hit,” a resident told the Independent Mon News Agency.
Another monk succumbed to his injuries while being transported to a nearby hospital. The remaining five monks are said to be in critical condition.
The airstrike also destroyed the monastery’s dining hall and other structures within the compound, locals said.
Fearful of further attacks, many residents fled toward Kyaikto town. “Around 11 a.m., we saw cars arriving from Hngetpyawtaw village. When asked, they said people were escaping because the junta dropped bombs on the area,” a Kyaikto resident reported.
Locals stressed that there were no resistance forces present in Chan Myae Su village at the time of the airstrike.
Just two weeks earlier, on August 9, the junta also carried out an airstrike on Pyinkatoekone village tract in Kyaikto Township, killing one civilian, injuring four, and damaging homes, vehicles, and motorcycles.
