An airstrike conducted by Myanmar’s military near a market in territory controlled by a prominent rebel group resulted in the death of at least 33 individuals and left 36 others injured on Monday, as reported by the group and a rescue official. The incident in western Rakhine state marks the latest in a series of fatal airstrikes targeting pro-democracy resistance forces and ethnic armed factions nationwide.
Since the military seized power from Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government on February 1, 2021, Myanmar has been embroiled in turmoil, leading to widespread opposition. Following the use of lethal force by security forces to suppress peaceful demonstrations, many opponents of the military regime have taken up arms, plunging significant parts of the country into conflict.
The attack on Monday occurred in Kyauktaw township, approximately 340 kilometers west of Mandalay, the second-largest city in Myanmar. The Arakan Army, a formidable ethnic armed group based in Rakhine and controlling Kyauktaw, reported that a fighter jet dropped two bombs near a local market at noon, resulting in the deaths of 33 people, including vendors, shoppers, and pedestrians.
Wai Hun Aung, a senior rescue official in Rakhine, confirmed the casualties to The Associated Press, referencing rescue workers present at the scene. He noted that the market served as the primary wholesale center in the region, attracting traders and shoppers from various parts of the state.
Images and videos shared on social media depicted buildings ablaze, vehicles damaged, and sections of a nearby bridge destroyed. The military has not issued an immediate response to the attack, maintaining its stance that it targets only legitimate military objectives and accusing resistance groups of engaging in terrorism.
The Arakan Army, the well-equipped military wing of a movement advocating for autonomy for Rakhine’s ethnic minority from Myanmar’s central government, has been actively involved in the conflict. Since launching an offensive in Rakhine in November 2023, the group has seized a strategically significant regional military headquarters and 14 of the state’s 17 townships.
In response to escalating violence in Rakhine, the military has imposed stringent restrictions on trade routes, exacerbating food shortages in the region. Notably, a military airstrike on a hospital in Rakhine’s Mrauk-U township in December claimed the lives of at least 34 individuals and left 80 others wounded.
Rakhine has also witnessed clashes between the military and insurgents, dating back to 2017, resulting in the mass exodus of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees to Bangladesh and other locations. Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, does not officially recognize the Rohingya as one of the country’s 135 lawful ethnic groups, while countries like Bangladesh and Malaysia are pursuing the repatriation of some refugees.
