Myanmar airstrike near Rakhine market kills 49 in Arakan Army-held area

At least 49 people were killed and 58 others were injured in an airstrike carried out by Myanmar's military near a market in western Rakhine state on Monday, according to the Arakan Army and a rescue official. The attack took place in territory controlled by the Arakan Army, a powerful ethnic armed group, and was the latest in a series of deadly airstrikes on resistance forces and ethnic armed groups across the country.

Myanmar has been in turmoil since the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, 2021, sparking widespread opposition. After security forces crushed peaceful protests with lethal force, many opponents of military rule took up arms, pushing large parts of the country into conflict.

The Arakan Army said the strike happened in Kyauktaw township, about 340 kilometres west of Mandalay, around noon on Monday. In a statement issued early Tuesday, it said a fighter jet dropped two bombs near a local market, killing vendors, shoppers and pedestrians. It said 58 other people were wounded, including 22 who were critically injured. It was not possible to independently confirm details of the attack.

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." 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 region's main wholesale centre and drew traders and shoppers from across the state. "This is one of the most severe airstrikes in Rakhine," he said.

Photos and videos shared on social media showed buildings on fire, damaged vehicles and parts of a nearby bridge destroyed. The military did not immediately comment on the attack. It has previously said it strikes only legitimate military targets and has accused resistance groups of terrorism.

The Arakan Army is the military wing of a movement seeking autonomy for Rakhine's ethnic minority from Myanmar's central government. It launched an offensive in Rakhine in November 2023 and has since captured a strategically important regional military headquarters and 14 of the state's 17 townships. The military has also imposed severe restrictions on trade routes since fighting intensified in Rakhine, worsening food shortages. In December, a military airstrike on a hospital in Mrauk-U township in Rakhine killed at least 34 people and injured 80 others, underlining the continuing toll of the conflict.

With PTI Inputs

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