13 Civilians, Including Women and Children, Killed in Airstrike on Yathetaung Village

By: Camp Correspondent

Yathetaung Township, Rakhine State — May 14, 2025
At least 13 civilians, including young children and women, were killed when a military jet dropped two 500-pound bombs on Htun Ywa Wai (Old Village) in Yathetaung Township at around 10:00 a.m. on May 13, according to residents and humanitarian sources.

Over 20 others were injured, some critically, and the death toll may rise as more victims are believed to be trapped under the rubble. The injured have been rushed to nearby clinics and hospitals, while rescuers continue to search through the debris.

Witnesses described scenes of horror as the bombs struck without warning, destroying 12 homes and severely damaging others in a village of around 200 households. Residents insist that the village has no known ties to any armed groups and had remained peaceful before the airstrike.

“Two children aged six and ten were among those killed. We are still searching. Some people are missing,” said a grieving local.

Earlier the same day, at approximately 4:00 a.m., another airstrike hit Laiphamaw village in Kyaukphyu Township, reportedly destroying a local monastery. These attacks come despite the military’s recent announcement of a temporary ceasefire until May 31, following the devastating earthquake earlier this month.

Yet, airstrikes continue unabated in Rakhine, Sagaing, Karenni, and Karen States, raising questions about the sincerity of the ceasefire declaration.

Just a day earlier, on May 12, a military airstrike on Ohtainkwin Village in Depayin Township, Sagaing Region, targeted a school, killing 22 children and two female teachers, and injuring more than 60 others, marking one of the deadliest single attacks on civilians in recent months.

Residents and rights groups are now calling for international condemnation and independent investigations into what they describe as a pattern of indiscriminate violence against civilians, particularly in ethnic minority regions.

“The military says one thing and does another. Ceasefire or not, our children are being buried,” said a resident of Yathetaung in tears.