At least 50 people have been killed and dozens injured after a Myanmar military airstrike struck near a busy market in Kyauktaw township, in the Arakan Army-controlled area of western Rakhine state. The attack took place around midday on Monday, September 28, when the market was crowded with vendors, shoppers and pedestrians. Reuters reported that the death toll rose to 50 after additional bodies were recovered.
The Arakan Army said a fighter jet dropped two bombs near the market, which serves as a major wholesale centre for the region. Earlier casualty figures put the toll at 49 dead and 58 injured, with 22 of the wounded reported to be in critical condition. Local rescue officials confirmed the figures cited by the armed group.
Kyauktaw lies around 340 kilometres west of Mandalay and is controlled by the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed organisation seeking greater autonomy for Rakhine. The group condemned the strike and said it would take retaliatory measures against those responsible. Myanmar’s military had not immediately commented on the latest attack. In previous statements, the military has said its air operations target legitimate military positions and accused resistance groups of terrorism.
The attack comes amid Myanmar’s wider conflict, which intensified after the military seized power from the elected government in February 2021. Fighting between the military, ethnic armed groups and pro-democracy resistance forces has caused widespread displacement and humanitarian hardship.
Rakhine has been particularly affected by the conflict. A military airstrike on a hospital in Mrauk-U township in December killed at least 34 people and wounded 80, according to reports.
