Terrified schoolchildren prayed while hiding in a foxhole as the Burmese military junta rained bombs on their village in Myanmar's Kayah State.

Harrowing footage shows the trembling kids huddled together while taking cover in the recently-dug pit in the Loikaw township. They can be heard in their local dialect chanting Christian prayers, hoping not to be caught in the explosions.

Rogue state fighter jets can be heard roaring overhead. The teacher tries to comfort the youngtsters be reassuring them that they will be safe.

Local media, citing the Karenni Nationalities Defense Force (KNDF), said at least one civilian was killed while two others were wounded during the assault on August 9.

The KNDF also alleged that the attack was unprovoked, with the junta destroying a clinic and a house in Kayah State.

Myanmar has suffered ongoing unrest and spiralled towards civil war following the removal of well-liked leader Aung San Suu Kyi in a military coup last February.

Soldiers responded with barbaric force on civilians leading to widespread condemnation and financial sanctions, including from the UK. Rebel groups and civilian militias around the country have been locked in a series of ongoing clashes with the ruling military.