• Myanmar military air strike on Mrauk-U hospital results in at least 31 deaths and 68 injuries.
• The attack marks a sharp increase in military airstrikes occurring ahead of scheduled elections.
• The Arakan Army, which controls the area, has faced significant military offensives since the coup in 2021.
• The strike comes amidst a broader humanitarian crisis with millions displaced and a rise in malnutrition.
• Critics label the upcoming elections as lacking legitimacy due to the ongoing violence and repression.

A military air strike on a hospital in Mrauk-U, Myanmar, resulted in the deaths of at least 31 individuals and injuries to 68 others on December 11. This attack occurred as Myanmar's junta escalates air raids to regain control ahead of elections scheduled later this month. Aid worker Wai Hun Aung reported the situation as "very terrible," expecting the casualty figures to rise due to the seriousness of the injuries sustained by survivors. The hospital was struck during the evening, exacerbating an existing humanitarian crisis, according to multiple sources, including India Times, Channel News Asia, Reuters, BBC, and Al Jazeera.

Eyewitness accounts describe a scene of devastation, with the Mrauk U General Hospital completely destroyed and many bodies seen in the aftermath. The presence of patients within the hospital at the time of the strike heightened the casualty count significantly. Khine Thu Kha, a spokesman for the Arakan Army, indicated that the facility was directly targeted by military aircraft, which has increasingly engaged in such bombings to reclaim territory from ethnic armies since the coup that displaced the elected government in 2021. This perspective is supported by multiple reports indicating the junta's intensified military actions, as highlighted in various articles, including those from Channel News Asia, Reuters, and BBC.

Since the military's takeover, Myanmar has been embroiled in a brutal civil war, and the surge in airstrikes—including a total of 2,165 recorded attacks from January to November 2025—has drawn significant criticism. Humanitarian agencies have flagged concerns regarding the rising hunger and malnutrition among the population, exacerbated by military blockades and the destruction of healthcare facilities like the one in Mrauk-U. The international community, including the United Nations, has condemned the junta's actions, viewing the upcoming elections as a façade of legitimacy tethered to escalating military aggression, which is documented across various reports shared by Al Jazeera, India Times, and Channel News Asia.