Myanmar military airstrike kills 49 people, injures 58 others near market in Rakhine state

An airstrike by Myanmar’s military near a busy market in western Rakhine state has killed at least 49 people and injured 58 others, according to the Arakan Army and a local rescue official. The strike took place in an area under the control of the powerful ethnic armed group, with civilians including vendors, shoppers and pedestrians among those reported killed. The attack in Kyauktaw township is the latest deadly aerial assault reported amid Myanmar’s prolonged armed conflict, which has intensified since the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021.

Airstrike hits market area in Kyauktaw

According to the Arakan Army, a fighter jet dropped two bombs near a local market at around noon on Monday. The group said the attack killed 49 people and left another 58 injured. Of those wounded, 22 were reported to be in critical condition. Wai Hun Aung, a senior rescue official in Rakhine, also confirmed the casualty figures to The Associated Press, citing rescue workers who were present at the scene.

He said the market serves as the region’s main wholesale centre and attracts traders and shoppers from different parts of Rakhine state. “This is one of the most severe airstrikes in Rakhine,” he added. Kyauktaw is located around 340 kilometres (210 miles) west of Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city. The township is controlled by the Arakan Army, which has emerged as one of the country’s most powerful ethnic armed organisations.

Buildings damaged, vehicles set ablaze

Images and videos circulating on social media showed the aftermath of the strike, including burning buildings, damaged vehicles and destruction to sections of a nearby bridge. However, the reported attack could not be independently verified. Myanmar’s military had not immediately issued a comment on the incident. The military has previously maintained that its air operations target legitimate military positions and has accused armed resistance groups of terrorism.

Meanwhile, the Arakan Army accused the military of deliberately carrying out airstrikes that caused mass civilian casualties. In a statement released early Tuesday, the group said it “will take effective retaliatory measures soon against the individuals and organisations directly responsible for the attacks involving deliberate airstrikes that have caused mass casualties.”

Myanmar conflict has killed and displaced civilians

Myanmar has remained embroiled in conflict since February 1, 2021, when the military removed the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi. Security forces’ crackdown on widespread protests led many opponents of military rule to take up arms, while ethnic armed organisations expanded their military campaigns in several parts of the country.

The resulting conflict has spread across large parts of Myanmar, with resistance forces and established ethnic armed groups fighting the military. Rakhine state has been one of the major battlegrounds. The Arakan Army launched a major offensive there in November 2023 and has since captured a strategically important regional military headquarters and 14 of the state’s 17 townships. The group is the armed wing of a movement seeking greater autonomy for Rakhine’s ethnic minority from Myanmar’s central government.

Fighting worsens food shortages in Rakhine

The escalation of fighting has also disrupted movement and trade across Rakhine state. The military has imposed severe restrictions on trade routes, contributing to worsening food shortages in areas affected by the conflict. The latest airstrike comes months after another deadly military aerial attack in Rakhine. In December, an airstrike on a hospital in Mrauk-U township killed at least 34 people and injured 80 others, according to the information provided by the Arakan Army and local sources.

Why Rakhine remains a major flashpoint

Rakhine has become a key theatre in Myanmar’s wider conflict because of the Arakan Army’s rapid territorial gains. Its control over most of the state’s townships has brought it into sustained confrontation with the military. With fighting continuing and trade routes heavily restricted, civilian populations in affected areas face the combined impact of violence, displacement and shortages of essential goods.

(With inputs from AP)

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