At least 33 people have been killed and around 70 others wounded after a military airstrike struck a major hospital in Mrauk U township, Rakhine state, Myanmar, according to aid workers, witnesses, and the Arakan Army, a local rebel group engaged in ongoing clashes with the military government.

The Mrauk U General Hospital, a key healthcare facility in the region, was completely destroyed after bombs dropped by a military aircraft hit the building late on Wednesday. Khine Thu Kha, spokesperson for the Arakan Army, confirmed to Reuters that the high casualty count resulted from the hospital taking a direct hit, with operating rooms and the main inpatient ward completely destroyed.

International Condemnation

United Nations rights chief Volker Turk condemned the attack in the “strongest possible terms,” stating it may constitute a war crime. Turk called for an immediate investigation and accountability, warning that given the prevailing impunity in Myanmar, international courts or universal jurisdiction mechanisms may need to intervene.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus described the strike as “appalling,” highlighting that this marks the 67th verified attack on healthcare facilities or personnel in Myanmar in 2025 alone. Tedros emphasized, “Every attack on health care is an attack on humanity.”

Local Accounts and Humanitarian Impact

Aid worker Wai Hun Aung reported that the hospital, with 300 beds, was overflowing with patients at the time of the strike, as most healthcare services across Rakhine state have been suspended amid ongoing conflict. Images from the site showed collapsed roofs, shattered columns, and victims’ bodies lying on the ground.

A 23-year-old Mrauk U resident recounted rushing to the hospital after hearing the explosions, describing a scene of chaos and multiple casualties.

Escalation of Air Attacks

The Myanmar military government, which retains the country’s only air force, has increasingly relied on airstrikes against rebel-held territories. From January to late November 2025, the military conducted 2,165 air attacks, compared with 1,716 throughout all of 2024, according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED).

The Arakan Army, formed in response to the 2021 coup, now controls 14 of Rakhine’s 17 townships, covering an area larger than Belgium. Despite the airstrike, Mrauk U township itself has experienced no recent fighting and has been under rebel control since last year.

Background

Myanmar has been embroiled in civil war since the military’s 2021 coup, which ousted the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. Resistance groups, alongside ethnic armies such as the Arakan Army, continue to challenge the military regime on multiple fronts.

The recent hospital strike underscores the humanitarian crisis in Myanmar, highlighting the deliberate targeting of medical infrastructure in violation of international law, and raising urgent calls for global accountability.