At least 18 people have been killed—most of them students—after Myanmar’s military carried out an overnight air strike on two private schools in Thayet Thapin village, Kyauktaw township, the Arakan Army says, with UNICEF condemning the “brutal attack” amid a wider pattern of escalating violence in Rakhine State.

What Happened

Khaing Thukha, spokesperson for the Arakan Army (AA), says a fighter jet dropped two bombs on Pyinnyar Pan Khinn and A Myin Thit Private High School, killing mostly 17–18-year-old students. Local outlets report two 500-lb bombs hitting as students slept. “We feel as sad as the victims’ families for the death of the innocent students,” the AA says in a statement on Telegram.

Casualties And Damage

Relief coordinator Wai Hun Aung tells reporters that among 30–40 boarders, multiple students are killed; at least six nearby houses are damaged and 21 people are injured, including six in critical condition. Access to the area remains limited due to disrupted internet and phone service, complicating verification of tolls that some outlets put even higher.

UNICEF Condemnation

UNICEF condemns the strike as a “brutal attack” that “adds to a pattern of increasingly devastating violence in Rakhine State, with children and families paying the ultimate price,” and says children are being killed in spaces meant to protect them, including schools and homes.

Battlefield Context In Rakhine

The AA, the military wing of a Rakhine autonomy movement, has gained control of a strategic regional army headquarters and 14 of the state’s 17 townships since launching an offensive in November 2023; Kyauktaw was captured last February. Nationwide, the junta has stepped up air strikes against armed resistance groups since the February 1, 2021 coup, with more than 7,200 people estimated to have been killed by security forces.

Conflicting Tallies

While the AA and multiple agencies report at least 18 killed, some wire services and regional outlets cite higher numbers—up to 19 or 22—with details that two 500-lb bombs were used. Such discrepancies are common in Myanmar’s conflict zones, especially where immediate access is restricted.