An airstrike conducted by the Myanmar military in a region controlled by a prominent rebel faction resulted in the deaths of at least 33 individuals and left 36 others injured on Monday, as reported by the rebel group and a rescue official. This incident in western Rakhine state is part of a series of lethal airstrikes targeting pro-democracy resistance factions and ethnic armed organizations throughout Myanmar.
The country has been in a state of unrest since the military overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, 2021, sparking widespread resistance. Following the use of deadly force by security forces to quell peaceful protests, many opponents of the military regime resorted to taking up arms, leading to widespread conflict in various parts of the nation.
The airstrike on Monday took place in Kyauktaw township, located approximately 340 kilometers west of Mandalay, the second-largest city in Myanmar. The Arakan Army, a influential ethnic armed group based in Rakhine and controlling Kyauktaw, disclosed that a fighter jet dropped two bombs near a local market at noon, resulting in the casualties, including vendors, shoppers, and passersby.
Wai Hun Aung, a senior rescue official in Rakhine, verified the number of casualties to The Associated Press, referring to accounts from rescue workers present at the scene. He highlighted that the market served as a primary wholesale hub for the region, attracting traders and shoppers from across the state.
Images and videos circulated on social media depicted engulfed buildings, damaged vehicles, and a partially destroyed nearby bridge in the aftermath of the attack. The military refrained from immediate comment on the incident, reiterating its stance of targeting only legitimate military objectives and accusing resistance groups of engaging in terrorism.
The Arakan Army, recognized as the well-equipped military branch of a movement advocating for autonomy for Rakhine’s ethnic minority from the central government of Myanmar, initiated an offensive in Rakhine in November 2023. Subsequently, it seized a strategically significant regional military headquarters and 14 out of the 17 townships in the state.
The military has enforced stringent restrictions on trade routes due to escalated hostilities in Rakhine, exacerbating food scarcity in the region. In a separate incident in December, a military airstrike on a hospital in Rakhine’s Mrauk-U township led to the deaths of at least 34 individuals and injuries to 80 others.
Moreover, Rakhine has been a battleground for conflicts between the military and insurgents since 2017, resulting in hundreds of thousands of Rohingya fleeing to Bangladesh and other destinations. Myanmar, previously known as Burma, does not officially recognize the Rohingya as one of its lawful ethnic minorities among the 135 recognized groups, while countries like Bangladesh and Malaysia are striving to repatriate some of the refugees.