Yangon, May 13 (V7N) – At least 22 students, including two teachers, have been killed in an airstrike carried out by Myanmar’s military junta on a school in the opposition-held Sagaing Region, despite a nationwide ceasefire declared following the devastating March 28 earthquake. Over 50 others were injured, and local sources fear the death toll could rise as several people remain trapped under the rubble.

The attack occurred around 10 a.m. local time on Monday in Oe Thein Kyin village near the town of Depayne, roughly 100 kilometers northwest of the earthquake’s epicenter. Eyewitnesses reported that a warplane bombed the school without warning, shattering the fragile calm expected under the announced ceasefire.

A local schoolteacher, 34, said: “We tried to disperse the children, but the warplane was too fast and dropped bombs quickly. We lost 20 of our children and two of our colleagues.”

The airstrike comes despite a ceasefire declared by the junta, which was supposed to last until May 31 to facilitate earthquake relief and reconstruction efforts. Opposition groups had similarly declared a temporary halt to hostilities to allow humanitarian assistance to reach the affected regions. However, reports indicate that the military has continued its assault on opposition strongholds, particularly in Sagaing, Karen, and Chin states.

Mounting International Condemnation

The attack has triggered widespread condemnation and renewed international scrutiny of the junta’s conduct. Human rights organizations and foreign governments have demanded accountability, questioning the credibility of the ceasefire and calling for urgent intervention to protect civilians, especially children.

As of now, no official comment has been issued by junta spokespeople.

Context: Earthquake and Ongoing Conflict

The 7.7-magnitude earthquake on March 28 killed at least 3,800 people and left thousands more injured or displaced. The tragedy prompted a rare ceasefire announcement from the junta, which claimed it would suspend military operations to support humanitarian efforts.

However, in reality, military offensives have persisted, with airstrikes and artillery shelling reported in multiple regions controlled by ethnic and pro-democracy resistance forces.

This latest atrocity adds to a long list of civilian casualties in Myanmar’s ongoing civil conflict, which has escalated sharply since the 2021 military coup.

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