Multiple schools in western Demawso Township have been forced to close indefinitely following a wave of Myanmar military junta airstrikes and heavy artillery shelling that targeted civilian areas, including a local middle school.

Disaster was narrowly avoided on August 6 when military aircraft dropped bombs on a middle school building at approximately 6:00 p.m., shortly after students had been dismissed for the day.

According to local officials, junta artillery shells have also been landing indiscriminately near residential villages and camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs), triggering urgent safety closures for at least five surrounding schools.

“Two planes came and dropped bombs yesterday, right after the kids got out of school,” a local teacher recounted. “Then, around 7:00 p.m., an artillery shell landed nearby. There are many makeshift homes for displaced families in this area, and we are terrified for the children's safety. We can’t say exactly when the schools will reopen—only when things calm down. Right now, we’ve closed based on the immediate threat.”

The school bombings are part of a broader escalation of violence in the region.

Throughout the first week of August, relentless junta airstrikes, drone attacks, and artillery bombardments on civilian zones in Demawso and Hpruso townships have killed and injured numerous civilians, leaving a trail of destroyed homes and educational facilities in their wake.