Fourteen folks were killed in navy air strikes at a monastery in Myanmar early on Friday, opposition fighters and a native rescue employee have said.

All of these killed were aged and a quantity of monks were also injured, the rescue employee instructed BBC Burmese, including that the web site was struck twice.

The attack occurred at around 09:00 native time (02:30 GMT) in Myaung township in the central Sagaing area, some 70km (47 miles) west of Mandalay, the information company AFP reported.

Civilians had reportedly gathered at the web site for a meditation retreat to mark Buddhist Lent. Myanmar’s navy has not commented.

Nway Oo Myaung, a pro-democracy insurgent, instructed AFP that the victims included 11 males and three ladies. Five of the victims were said to be from one village, while the remaining 9 were from a neighbouring township.

“Older people had entered the meditation centres,” Myaung added, saying the lifeless were aged between 50 and 70.

A second, unnamed opposition fighter said he had been among these looking out for survivors of the attacks.

“While we were trying to rescue people, the aircraft came to bomb a second time,” he said.

Myanmar has been locked in civil conflict since the navy staged a 2021 coup ousting Aung San Suu Kyi, and has been under martial rule since. The navy, which is incessantly accused of carrying out strikes on public buildings, has beforehand said it only strikes reputable targets.