An airstrike conducted by Myanmar’s military near a marketplace in an area controlled by a prominent rebel faction resulted in the deaths of at least 33 individuals and injuries to 36 others on Monday, as reported by the group and a rescue official. This incident in western Rakhine state marked the latest in a series of lethal airstrikes targeting pro-democracy resistance groups and ethnic armed factions throughout the nation.
Since the military coup on February 1, 2021, which ousted the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar has been embroiled in turmoil, sparking widespread dissent. Following the violent suppression of peaceful demonstrations by security forces, many opponents of the junta resorted to armed resistance, thrusting significant parts of the country into conflict.
The attack on Monday took place in Kyauktaw township, approximately 340 kilometers west of Mandalay, the second-largest city in the country. The Arakan Army, a potent ethnic armed group based in Rakhine and controlling Kyauktaw, disclosed that a fighter jet dropped two bombs near a local market around midday, resulting in the deaths of 33 individuals, including vendors, shoppers, and passersby.
Wai Hun Aung, a senior rescue official in Rakhine, substantiated the casualties to The Associated Press, citing on-site rescue workers. He highlighted that the market served as the primary wholesale hub in the region, attracting traders and buyers from across the state.
“This is one of the most devastating airstrikes in Rakhine,” he remarked.
Images and videos circulated on social media depicted structures ablaze, vehicles damaged, and sections of a nearby bridge demolished.
The military refrained from immediate commentary on the attack, reiterating its stance of targeting solely legitimate military objectives and accusing resistance factions of engaging in terrorism.
The Arakan Army, the militarily proficient and well-equipped arm of a movement advocating for autonomy for Rakhine’s ethnic minority from Myanmar’s central administration, initiated an offensive in Rakhine in November 2023 and has since seized a strategically vital regional military headquarters and 14 of the state’s 17 townships.
With the escalation of hostilities in Rakhine, the military has imposed stringent constraints on trade routes, exacerbating food scarcities.
In a separate incident in December, a military airstrike on a hospital in Rakhine’s Mrauk-U township resulted in the deaths of at least 34 individuals and injuries to 80 others.
Rakhine has also witnessed clashes between the military and insurgents, leading to a mass exodus of hundreds of thousands of Rohingya to Bangladesh and other regions. Myanmar, formerly known as Burma, does not officially recognize the Rohingya as one of the nation’s 135 recognized ethnic groups, as neighboring countries like Bangladesh and Malaysia strive to repatriate some of the refugees.