Burma army airstrikes hit hospital and school in Minbya Township
By Network Media Group
February 28, 2024
A Burma army’s jet fighter bombarded a civilian hospital in Min Hpu village and a school in Thay Kan village of Minbya town in Arakan State. The airstrike injured many civilian people in Minbya town, according to local sources.
The Arakan Army released a statement saying that a Burma army jet fighter dropped bombs on a civilian hospital in Min Hpu village around 1 a.m. on 27 February. The airstrike damaged the hospital building and injured many civilians including health workers, hospital staff and prisoners of war who were patients at the hospital. NMG could not independently verify the number of casualties.
On the same day, the jet fighter also attacked Thay Kan village in Minbya Township.
“A jet fighter attacked Thay Kan village, which is situated near the Ramawng bridge. Two bombs hit a school in the village. Up to 30 people got serious injuries. I do not know the exact number of injured people because we are now fleeing to a safer area. Some people remain in the village,” a local man, who doesn’t want to mention his real name for security reasons, told NMG.
After the jet fighter attacked Thay Kan village, local people from Thay Kan and nearby villages fled to safer areas.
“No fighting was reported in the area when the jet fighter attacked these villages. Bombs landed onto a school and civilian houses in Thay Kan village. Bombs also landed the hospital in Min Hpu village. In my opinion, this jet fighter intentionally attacked civilians,” another local man told NMG.
In the statement, the Arakan Army reported that the hospital in Min Hpu village was just a civilian hospital where prisoners of war and their family members were receiving medical treatment. The statement suggested that the Burma army launched airstrikes on civilian targets such villages, schools, hospitals, and religious buildings because the Burma army has been losing battles and territory including police stations and the army division headquarters in Arakan state.
The Arakan Army also reported that on 26 February Arakan Army troops seized the Burma army’s no-9 military training school near Kam Nee village in Minby Township. After capturing the no-9 military training school and headquarters, the Arakan Army says that it has full control of Minbya Township.
Arakan Army troops started to attack the Burma army’s no-9 military training school near Kam Nee village on 17 February, and captured it from Burma army around 7 p.m. on 26 February. The Arakan Army collected the dead bodies of Burma army soldiers as well as a cache of weapons and equipment.
The Burma army launched airstrikes in Minbya Township in the early morning of 27 February after losing the no-9 military training school to the Arakan Army.
