SALIN, Myanmar — A Buddhist monastery in central Myanmar’s Magway Division has been damaged following a targeted drone strike by the military, part of an intensifying pattern of attacks on religious and civilian infrastructure.
The incident occurred late on March 25, 2026, at the Zee Oke Monastery, located between Kyaung Kone and Kanyut villages in Salin Township. Local resistance group Pyithu Nyinuang-Salin reported that two 60mm mortar bombs were dropped on the compound from a military drone.
At the time of the attack, three monks, a novice, and two temple assistants were present on the grounds. While the structures suffered significant damage, no casualties were reported among the clergy or staff. The abbot of the monastery was reportedly away traveling when the bombs struck.
The explosions triggered a fire that destroyed two of the monastery’s six buildings—specifically the dining hall and the kitchen—as well as sanitation facilities.
The aerial attack appears to have been a precursor to a ground operation. Shortly after the drone strike, a military column of approximately 60 soldiers entered the nearby village of Thamyinkyin. Witnesses reported that the troops fired warning shots into the air to intimidate the local population.
“The soldiers arrived almost immediately after the drone dropped the bombs,” Ko Pyithu, a spokesperson for Pyithu Nyinuang-Salin, told MPA. “It was a coordinated move from the direction of Thayet Chin village. They stayed briefly in Thamyinkyin before withdrawing back the way they came.”
The military’s maneuvers triggered a wave of displacement across several nearby villages, including Thayet Chin, Ohn Taw, and Kyaung Kone. Hundreds of residents fled their homes in fear of further shelling or arrests. While some villagers began returning on March 26, the atmosphere in the area remains tense.
The use of drones by the sham government’s military marks an evolution in its tactics to strike areas where ground access is contested. Despite claiming to be protectors of the Buddhist faith, the military’s increasing reliance on air and drone power has led to frequent destruction of monasteries and schools across the country’s rural heartlands, drawing repeated condemnation from human rights monitors.
