An airstrike carried out by the Myanmar Air Force on a Buddhist monastery in Sagaing Region killed 14 people who were taking part in a week-long mediation retreat, an opposition group and a resident in Myaung Township said on Friday.

The attack is the latest in a series of frequent and deadly aerial strikes targeting armed pro-democracy forces and ethnic armed groups in the country. The strikes often cause civilian casualties.

The attack occurred Aug. 21 at 9 a.m. in Swel Le Oh village in Myaung Township, about 45 miles (75 km) west of Mandalay, the country’s second-largest city, according to Nway Oo, a spokesperson for the Civil Defence and Security Organization of Myaung Township, or CDSOM.

Nway Oo said 14 people, including three women, were killed and 20 others were wounded when a jet fighter dropped a bomb in the compound of the village’s monastery.

A villager who spoke on condition of anonymity also confirmed the death toll to The Associated Press. Stay tuned to DVB English News for updates on this story.

AP