Airstrike on School in Myanmar Leaves 19 Dead, Sparks Outcry
A military airstrike on a school in Myanmar’s Rakhine State has killed at least 19 students, according to the ethnic Arakan Army, as the junta intensifies its campaign against rebel forces in the restive border region.
The victims—teenagers and young adults between 15 and 21—were sheltering at a boarding school in Kyauktaw township when the strike hit last week. The Arakan Army, which has been locked in battle with Myanmar’s armed forces, reported the deaths.
The United Nations children’s agency UNICEF confirmed that children were among the dead and wounded but declined to release exact figures.
Information Blackout
Verifying the claims remains difficult. The junta has cut internet and mobile networks across swathes of Rakhine, choking off communication with conflict zones. Military spokespeople have not responded to requests for comment.
The strike underscores the junta’s increasing reliance on air power to quell resistance as it seeks to reclaim territory before elections scheduled for December. The opposition National Unity Government (NUG), operating in exile, reported that Myanmar’s military carried out nearly 500 air raids in August alone, killing more than 40 children and striking at least 15 schools.
Elections in Turmoil
On Monday, state media announced that December’s parliamentary elections would be canceled in dozens of districts, citing an inability to guarantee “free and fair” voting conditions. Most of the affected constituencies are either engulfed by fighting or under the sway of insurgent groups.
The polls, set for December 28, were already facing a widespread boycott from opposition parties, who argue no credible election can be held under military rule.
For families in Rakhine, the attack has added another layer of fear to daily life in one of Myanmar’s most volatile regions—where classrooms, once symbols of opportunity, have now become sites of tragedy.
