Myanmar Airstrike Near Rakhine Market Kills 49, Injures 58
At least 49 people were killed and 58 others injured after a Myanmar military airstrike struck near a market in Arakan Army-controlled territory in western Rakhine state on Monday, according to the rebel group and a rescue official.
The attack took place in Kyauktaw township, about 340 km west of Mandalay. The area is controlled by the Arakan Army, a powerful ethnic armed organisation. The Associated Press said it could not independently verify the reported casualties.
Two Bombs Dropped Near Market
The Arakan Army said a fighter jet dropped two bombs near a local market around noon. Vendors, shoppers and people passing through the area were among those killed, it said.
The group said 22 of the injured were in critical condition.
Wai Hun Aung, a senior rescue official in Rakhine, confirmed the casualty figures to AP, citing rescue workers at the site. He said the market serves as a major wholesale centre for the region, drawing traders and shoppers from across the state.
“This is one of the most severe airstrikes in Rakhine,” he said.
Photos and videos circulating on social media showed burning buildings, damaged vehicles and a partially destroyed bridge near the market.
Arakan Army Warns of Retaliation
The Arakan Army said it would take “effective retaliatory measures soon” against those responsible for the attack.
Myanmar’s military did not immediately respond to the allegations. The military has previously said its airstrikes target legitimate military positions and has accused armed resistance groups of terrorism.
Conflict Continues Across Myanmar
The airstrike comes amid an intensifying conflict that has engulfed Myanmar since the military ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, 2021.
Following the military crackdown on anti-coup protests, armed resistance groups emerged across the country, while ethnic armed organisations expanded their operations against the military.
The Arakan Army, the armed wing of a movement seeking greater autonomy for Rakhine’s ethnic minority, launched a major offensive in the state in November 2023. It has since captured a key regional military headquarters and taken control of 14 of Rakhine’s 17 townships.
Trade Restrictions Worsen Food Crisis
The fighting and restrictions on trade routes have disrupted supplies and contributed to worsening food shortages across Rakhine.
In December, a separate Myanmar military airstrike on a hospital in Mrauk-U township killed at least 34 people and injured around 80, according to reported casualty figures.
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