Myanmar army airstrike kills 49 and injures 58 others in market in opposition-controlled Rakhine state

Myanmar airstrike near market in Rakhine kills at least 49

At least 49 people were killed and 58 others wounded after an airstrike by Myanmar’s military hit an area near a market in territory controlled by a powerful ethnic armed group in western Rakhine state, representatives of the group and a rescue official said.

The attack took place on Monday in Kyauktaw township, around 340 kilometres west of Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city. The township is controlled by the Arakan Army, a powerful armed group seeking greater autonomy for Rakhine’s ethnic minority.

The Arakan Army said a fighter jet dropped two bombs near a local market around midday. Vendors, shoppers and pedestrians were among those killed, according to the group.

Of the 58 people reported injured, 22 were said to be in critical condition.

The Arakan Army said details of the attack could not be independently verified. In a statement issued early Tuesday, the group also warned that it would take retaliatory measures against those it said were directly responsible for the airstrikes.

Wai Hun Aung, a senior rescue official in Rakhine, confirmed the casualty figures to The Associated Press, citing rescue workers at the scene.

He said the market was the main wholesale centre in the region and attracted traders and shoppers from across Rakhine.

“This is one of the most severe airstrikes in Rakhine,” he said.

Images and videos shared on social media showed buildings engulfed in flames, damaged vehicles and sections of a nearby bridge destroyed.

The Myanmar military had not immediately commented on the attack. In previous cases, the military has said its airstrikes target legitimate military positions and has accused resistance groups of terrorism.

Fighting has intensified since 2021 coup

The latest attack is part of a series of deadly airstrikes carried out against pro-democracy resistance forces and ethnic armed groups across Myanmar.

The country has remained embroiled in conflict since the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on 1 February 2021.

The coup triggered widespread opposition. After security forces used lethal force to suppress peaceful demonstrations, many opponents of military rule took up arms, leading to fighting across large parts of the country.

The Arakan Army serves as the military wing of a movement seeking autonomy for Rakhine’s ethnic minority from Myanmar’s central government.

The group launched an offensive in Rakhine in November 2023. Since then, it has captured a strategically important regional military headquarters as well as 14 of the state’s 17 townships.

Restrictions worsen food shortages

Trade routes in Rakhine have faced severe restrictions imposed by the military since fighting intensified, contributing to worsening food shortages across the state.

The latest deadly strike comes after another military airstrike in Rakhine in December.

That attack targeted a hospital in Mrauk-U township and killed at least 34 people, while 80 others were wounded.