As many as 33 people have been killed in airstrikes launched by Myanmar’s military Junta on the general hospital in Mrauk-U, Western Rakhine state, confirmed the Arakan Army rebel group on Thursday. More than 70 people have been injured in the airstrikes, they added.
One of the aid workers assisting in the humanitarian operation described the “situation as very terrible” after his team arrived at the scene on Thursday morning. The aid workers said they were able to discover some 20 bodies which were visible on the ground after an overnight strike outside the hospital, while 13 more bodies have been recovered from the debris after the rescue and relief operation.
Almost all of the state is ruled by the Arakan Army (AA)—an ethnic minority separatist force active long before the military staged a coup toppling the civilian government of democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi. The statement from the rebel group on Wednesday said, “10 patients were killed on the spot.”
The Myanmar military government has carried out a series of airstrikes in northern Rakhine state in a bid to neutralise the Arakan Army (AA) after taking over the country. While the military-run elections have been criticised by monitors, including the United Nations, China remains a key backer of the regime, saying it should "restore social stability" to its neighbour.
Meanwhile, the AA has proven to be a powerful opponent for the Junta, which now controls 14 out of 17 townships in the state. The group has also been accused of atrocities, including against the mostly Muslim Rohingya ethnic minority from the region.
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