Myanmar Airstrike on Mogok Kills at Least 21, Escalates Civilian Toll

A devastating airstrike by Myanmar’s military on Mogok, a key gem-mining hub in Mandalay Region, killed at least 21 civilians, including a pregnant woman, on Thursday, August 14, 2025, according to the Ta’ang National Liberation Army (TNLA), local residents, and independent media. The attack, which occurred at 8:30 pm in Shwegu ward, targeted a Buddhist monastery, leaving seven injured and damaging 15 homes and monastery buildings.

The TNLA, an ethnic militia controlling Mogok since July 2024, reported that 16 of the victims were women. Local residents, speaking anonymously due to fear of military reprisals, told The Associated Press that the death toll may have reached nearly 30, as one bombed house was hosting visitors for the pregnant woman. Myanmar Now reported the strike leveled a residential area near a monastery, with search teams still recovering bodies.

This airstrike is part of an intensified military campaign to reclaim territory lost to resistance groups since the 2021 coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s government. The military, which claims to target only “legitimate” threats, has not commented on the Mogok incident. Independent analysts estimate the military controls less than half of Myanmar, with opposition forces, including the TNLA and People’s Defence Force, holding significant areas.

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The TNLA noted that airstrikes in their controlled areas killed 17 others, including two monks, and injured 20 in early August. Another attack on August 11 killed 16 truck drivers near Sagaing. Critics argue the military’s planned year-end elections aim to legitimize its rule, lacking credibility due to suppressed media and arrested opposition leaders.

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