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At least 49 people were killed and 58 others injured after Myanmar’s air force bombed a market in Kyauktaw town in western Rakhine State, near the Bangladesh border, according to the Arakan Army and local rescue officials.
The attack took place on Monday in an area controlled by the Arakan Army (AA), one of Myanmar’s most powerful ethnic armed groups fighting the military.
In a statement, the AA said a military jet dropped two bombs on the market, killing 49 people and injuring 58 others. At least 22 of the injured are in critical condition.
The group said all those killed and wounded were civilians, including temporary and permanent shopkeepers, traders and passers-by.
Wai Htun Aung, a senior official of Rakhine’s civilian defence and rescue force, confirmed the casualty figures provided by the Arakan Army. He said the market was a major wholesale hub that regularly attracted shoppers and small traders from different parts of Rakhine State.
Images and videos shared on social media showed fires engulfing the market, nearby buildings and several vehicles. A bridge adjacent to the market was also reportedly damaged in the bombing.
Independent verification of the casualty figures was not immediately possible.
The Arakan Army, based in Rakhine, has been fighting for greater autonomy for years and has emerged as one of Myanmar’s strongest anti-junta forces. Following the military coup in 2021, the group expanded its influence and launched a major offensive against junta forces in late 2023 to gain full control of Rakhine State.
The AA currently controls 14 of Rakhine’s 17 townships, including Kyauktaw, where the latest airstrike took place.
Sources: Associated Press, India Today