Rakhine Hospital Airstrike Kills Dozens in Myanmar Conflict

A deadly air strike carried out by the forces of Myanmar hit a hospital at Rakhine State on December 10, 2025. Several people were killed in the airstrikes. The event took place at Mrauk-U township, a town in western Myanmar that at present includes an active conflict involving forces from the ruling junta and rebels.

What Happened

At Mrauk-U, a hospital, which is the biggest medical facility in the area, was hit by bombs that came from a military aircraft, destroying most of it, according to reports from the Arakan Army and humanitarian agencies.
At least 30-34 people have been killed and 70-80 injured in the attack. A large number of people have been reported to be critical and are still lying in the operation theatres.
The strike took place at about 9 p.m. local time, with one explosion reported as having struck a recovery ward and another detonating near a main facility.

Devastation and Human Cost

Reports from the area said that the hospital had been filled with patients at the time of the attack. Moreover, several hospitals had already been compelled to shut down because of conflict. As a result, there were collapsed roofs, broken columns, and bodies among the rubble.

Rakhine has also been a focus of conflict in what effectively constitutes a state of war within Myanmar, with ethnic forces like the Arakan Army engaged in efforts to gain control over the region following a military coup in 2021.

Response and Condemnation

The Arakan Army criticised the bombing as an attack on civilians and medical facilities.
Officials at the United Nations and international human rights agencies have denounced the attack. The U.N. high commissioner for human rights said attacks on a hospital “may amount to a war crime.”
The World Health Organization also criticised the attack and pointed out that attacks on health facilities reinforce and extend humanitarian suffering.

Al Jazeera Yet, thus far, there has been no acknowledgement on the part of the military government in Myanmar that it bombed these locations.

Conflict and Humanitarian Crisis

The incident emphasises the humanitarian cost of the civil war taking place within Myanmar, with airstrikes and battles on land taking place constantly throughout the country. According to independent monitors, there have been rising numbers of civilian deaths and displacement as battles escalate, as the country heads towards national elections on December 28, which has already been embroiled in controversy. Khaosod Mrauk-U, about 530 kilometres northwest of Yangon, has been operating partially under rebel control since the start of 2024 due to a number of ethnic force offensives.

The horrifying bombing of a hospital in Rakhine State, Myanmar, and its aftermath remind us of the price paid for prolonged conflict. While lives have been lost, it should be remembered that this bombing has destroyed one of the very limited sources of medical services available within that region.

Despite mounting calls for an investigation and accountability, the silence on the issue on the part of the junta illustrates the difficulties that exist with regard to compliance with humanitarian law within an active war zone. As conflict rages on within Myanmar, safeguarding civilian infrastructure, particularly medical and educational institutions, continues to be an area that is pressing but unaddressed.

The world today is confronted with a very pressing issue on how it can be guaranteed that it will get the necessary rights and protections, even with regard to non-combatants, at a time when it finds itself entangled within very complex and dynamic conflict scenarios.