Sat Dec 13 05:49:56 UTC 2025: Here’s a summarized news article based on the provided text:

Headline: Myanmar Military Acknowledges Airstrike on Rakhine Hospital, Claims Use by Armed Groups

Bangkok – December 13, 2025 – Myanmar’s military has acknowledged conducting an airstrike on a hospital in Rakhine state on Wednesday, December 10th, following reports of significant casualties. A local rescuer and media outlets previously reported that the attack resulted in the deaths of over 30 people, including patients, medical workers, and children.

In a statement released Saturday, December 13th, by the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper, the military claimed that armed groups, including the Arakan Army (AA) and the People’s Defence Force (PDF), were using the hospital as a base. The military asserted that it launched a “counter-terrorism operation” against the hospital buildings, stating that those killed or injured were armed members of these groups and their supporters, not civilians.

However, reports from Rakhine officials directly contradict the military’s claims. A senior rescue official told the Associated Press that 34 people, including patients and medical staff, were killed and approximately 80 others injured when an Army jet fighter dropped two bombs on the general hospital in Mrauk-U township, an area controlled by the AA.

The United Nations and the World Health Organization (WHO) have condemned the attack. The UN stated that the airstrike is part of a broader pattern of attacks harming civilians and civilian infrastructure throughout the country. WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus expressed his dismay at the attack, emphasizing the disruption to healthcare access for entire communities.

The Arakan Army, which seeks autonomy from Myanmar’s central government and captured Mrauk-U in February 2024, has vowed to seek accountability for the attack and take “strong and decisive action” against the military. The group also claims that the military has launched subsequent nighttime airstrikes in five Rakhine towns since the hospital attack, resulting in further civilian casualties.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military coup in 2021.

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