At least 49 people were killed and 58 others injured after Myanmar’s military carried out an airstrike on an area controlled by the Arakan Army in western Rakhine State, according to the Arakan Army and a rescue official.
A fighter jet dropped two bombs near a local market in Kyauktaw Township on Monday, striking an area crowded with traders, customers and other civilians, the Arakan Army said. Among those injured, 22 were reported to be in critical condition.
Senior rescue official Wai Hun Aung confirmed the casualty figures based on information provided by rescuers at the scene, according to The Associated Press. He said the market was one of Rakhine State’s major wholesale trading centres and attracted traders and customers from different parts of the region.
The Arakan Army described the incident as a major airstrike against territory under its control and warned that it would take what it called effective retaliatory action against those responsible and the institutions involved.
Photographs and videos circulated on social media following the attack reportedly showed several buildings on fire, damaged vehicles and part of a nearby bridge destroyed. The claims and visual material could not be independently verified.
Myanmar’s military did not immediately comment on the reported airstrike. The military has previously said that its air operations target legitimate military installations and accused armed groups fighting against it of engaging in terrorist activities.
Kyauktaw is located about 340 kilometres west of Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city. The township is currently reported to be under the control of the Arakan Army, although independent verification of developments in the conflict zone remains difficult because of restrictions on access and communications.
Myanmar’s civil war has continued since the military seized power from the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, 2021. Following the violent suppression of protests against military rule, some pro-democracy activists joined armed resistance groups. The conflict subsequently expanded across large parts of the country, involving the military, pro-democracy forces and ethnic armed organisations.
In Rakhine State, the Arakan Army intensified its offensive in November 2023. The group has since captured strategically important military positions and has claimed control of 14 of the state’s 17 townships.
The escalation has also contributed to severe humanitarian conditions. Food shortages have worsened in Rakhine after the military imposed restrictions on major trade and transport routes.
The latest attack comes after another deadly military airstrike in Rakhine. An earlier strike on a hospital in Mrauk-U Township reportedly killed at least 34 people and injured 80 others, highlighting the continuing risks faced by civilians as fighting intensifies across the state.
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