An airstrike conducted by Myanmar’s military on Monday, May 12, 2025, struck a school in the Sagaing region, resulting in at least 20 students and two teachers dead, according to local resistance fighters and aid workers present at the site. The attack took place in the morning at the Ohe Htein Twin village within Tabayin township, also referred to as Depayin, and left dozens of students injured.
An individual from the White Depeyin People’s Defence Force resistance group, who assisted victims, stated that a fighter jet dropped a bomb directly on the school while students ranging from primary to high school were attending classes shortly after 9 a.m. The school, run by the pro-democracy movement, is roughly 70 miles northwest of Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city.
The resistance member, who spoke anonymously due to concerns about military arrest, mentioned that three nearby houses sustained damage from the attack. He also noted the absence of recent fighting in the area, despite Sagaing being a hub for resistance forces.
Nay Phone Latt, spokesperson for the opposition’s National Unity Government (NUG), confirmed similar casualty figures and indicated the death toll might rise. The representative mentioned that some students may be unaccounted for due to the bomb impact. He accused the military of intentionally targeting civilians in areas like monasteries, refugee camps, schools, and hospitals, under the pretense that resistance fighters were hiding there.
The Myanmar military has refuted these reports. State-operated MRTV television, during its Monday evening news broadcast, accused subversive media outlets of disseminating false information. The military’s statement, citing an unnamed local official, claimed that security forces were only working to maintain peace in the area and not targeting non-military entities. They accused “terrorists” of shelling and using drones in attacks on townships and villages that did not support them.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed significant concern about the reported airstrike. His spokesman Stephane Dujarric stated, “Even in times of armed conflict, schools must be protected.”
The reported attack occurred despite the Myanmar military’s announcement of a ceasefire extension until May 31 to assist with relief efforts following the severe earthquake on March 28. The military had initially declared the ceasefire in early April, shortly after the earthquake, and anti-junta armed groups made similar gestures to support humanitarian efforts.
“Reports of attacks, including in Sagaing and other areas impacted by the March 28 earthquakes, add further to the already immense suffering of people in Myanmar, where over one-third of the country requires humanitarian aid,” Dujarric added.
The Sagaing region, which shares a border with India, has been a focal point of armed resistance against military rule. The junta has increasingly relied on airstrikes to combat widespread opposition since taking control from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. The resistance forces lack effective defenses against aerial assaults.
More than 6,600 civilians have been killed by security forces since the military takeover, based on data compiled by non-governmental organizations.
This incident follows similar occurrences in the region. In September 2022, military helicopters conducted aerial attacks against a school and village in Let Yet Kone, within the same township, killing at least 13 people, including seven children. In April 2023, airstrikes killed up to 160 people, including many children, attending a ceremony organized by opponents of army rule near Pazigyi village in Sagaing region’s Kanbalu township.
Myanmar has been embroiled in conflict since the military used force to suppress protests against its return to power in a 2021 coup. The military has struggled to govern effectively and has lost ground in battles against ethnic minority armies and resistance movements affiliated with the NUG.
Recent reports considered credible by the United Nations and human rights organizations have indicated that airstrikes have persisted despite ceasefires declared to facilitate relief efforts following the March earthquake, which left tens of thousands displaced and in need of humanitarian assistance.
The NUG comprises former elected officials ousted by the military coup and other anti-junta groups coordinating resistance to military rule across the country.
