At least 17 children were wounded and six children were killed in Myanmar when army helicopters shot at a school on Friday. The military said it opened fire because rebels were using the school building to attack its forces. The military admitted to opening fire on the school on Tuesday, however, rejected accusations that it had killed any children in the strike.
Myanmar has been riddled with violence since the army overthrew an elected government early last year. Opposition movements have emerged across the country, which the military has countered with lethal force. According to reports of the attack, army helicopters opened fire on the school housed within a Buddhist monastery. The reports said some children were killed on the spot by the shooting and others died after the troops entered the village. Documented violent attacks against schools increased from 10 to 190 between 2020 and 2021 in Myanmar.
Read More: Myanmar army helicopters fire on school, killing six
