At least 11 schoolchildren have died after an airstrike on a village in Myanmar, according to the United Nations children’s agency, in what could be the deadliest attack on children since the junta seized power last year.
UN chief António Guterres on Tuesday condemned the strike, according to his office, which stated that the death toll had climbed to at least 13 people died, including the 11 students whose school was hit.
The south-east Asian country has been in chaos since the military seized power in a coup in February 2021, with nearly 2,300 civilians killed in a crackdown on dissent according to a local monitoring group. The junta claims the deadly attack on Friday was targeting rebels hiding in the area.
Earlier this year Myanmar's military was accused of shooting dead two Tamils.The two Tamils have been identified as 28-year-old P. Mohan and 32-year-old M. Pyanar. They had reportedly travelled across the short border from Moreh where they lived to Tamu
Sri Lanka has continued to strengthen its relationship with the military junta in Myanmar with the Sri Lankan ambassador presenting credentials to Myanmar's ruling military last month, even as countries around the world continue to condemn the regime for its human rights abuses. Sri Lanka joins the likes of India and Saudi Arabia, who have strengthened ties with the Myanmar regime, in opposition to many embassies that have downgraded diplomatic ties.
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