Myanmar’s military acknowledged an airstrike struck a hospital in Rakhine’s Mrauk-U, while local rescuers and media report the attack killed 34 people and wounded about 80. The military says the facility was being used by armed groups, including the Arakan Army and the People’s Defense Force, and described its actions as counter-terrorism. The UN and WHO condemned the strike, warning it furthers a pattern of attacks harming civilians and disrupting health services.
Rakhine Hospital Devastated in Airstrike: Military Says Armed Groups Used Facility, Rescuers Report 34 Dead
In this photo provided by Wai Hun Aung, people check damaged buildings at the hospital that was allegedly hit by a military air strike in Mrauk-U township in Rakhine state, Myanmar, Thursday, Dec.11, 2025. (Wai Hun Aung via AP)
Myanmar’s military on Saturday acknowledged an airstrike hit a hospital in the western Rakhine state, while local rescuers and media reports say the attack killed more than 30 people, including patients, medical staff and children.
What Military Says
The state-run Global New Light of Myanmar published a statement from the military’s information office saying that armed groups — naming the ethnic Arakan Army (AA) and the People’s Defense Force (PDF), militias formed after the 2021 coup — were using the hospital as a base. The military said it carried out what it described as "necessary security measures" and launched a counter-terrorism operation against the hospital buildings.
Local Accounts and Reported Damage
A senior rescue official in Rakhine told The Associated Press that an army jet dropped two bombs on the general hospital in Mrauk-U township, an area held by the Arakan Army. He said the strikes late Wednesday destroyed the hospital building, killed 34 people (including patients and medical staff) and wounded about 80 others. Local rescuers and several media outlets reported similar casualty figures.
International Reaction
The United Nations said the attack fits a broader pattern of strikes harming civilians and civilian infrastructure across Myanmar. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director-general of the World Health Organization, said on X that he was "appalled" by the strike on a facility that provided primary health care and warned the attack will disrupt access to services for entire communities.
“Attacks on medical facilities are unacceptable and threaten the health and safety of whole communities,” WHO said in its statement.
Responses From Armed Groups
The Arakan Army, which controls Mrauk-U, said in a statement it will pursue accountability in cooperation with international organizations and promised "strong and decisive action" against the military. The group also reported that the military launched a series of nighttime airstrikes in five Rakhine towns after the hospital attack, saying at least eight civilians were killed and 10 injured in those strikes.
Context
Mrauk-U, about 530 kilometers (326 miles) northwest of Yangon, was captured by the Arakan Army in February 2024. The Arakan Army is the armed wing of Rakhine’s ethnic movement and seeks greater autonomy from Myanmar’s central authorities. Its offensive in Rakhine began in November 2023 and has since seized a strategically important regional army headquarters and 14 of the state’s 17 townships.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military seized power in 2021, triggering widespread popular opposition. Many opponents of the junta have taken up arms and large parts of the country remain engulfed in conflict.
Note on Reporting
Casualty figures and responsibility for the strike differ between the military and local rescue officials. The military describes the operation as counter-terrorism against armed actors; rescue teams, local media and international health agencies report significant civilian harm and widespread damage to health infrastructure.
