Myanmar’s military carried out an air strike targeting a market area in Kyauktaw, a town in northern Rakhine state, resulting in significant casualties. The Arakan army reported that a fighter jet dropped two bombs near the wholesale market at noon local time, killing 33 people including vendors, shoppers, and pedestrians, with 36 others injured. Rescue officials confirmed the details and noted that the market serves as the region’s primary wholesale center, attracting traders and customers throughout the state. Images distributed on social media depicted fires, damaged vehicles, and destruction to nearby infrastructure including a bridge.
The strike represents one of a series of military operations conducted against armed opposition groups challenging the government that seized power in 2021. Myanmar’s military has not issued immediate comment on the incident but has historically maintained that its operations target only legitimate military objectives and characterized resistance movements as terrorist organizations. This air strike follows a December attack on a hospital in Mrauk U township that killed at least 33 people and wounded 70.
The Arakan army, seeking autonomy for Rakhine’s ethnic minority population, initiated its military campaign in November 2023 and has since gained control of significant territory, capturing military installations and the majority of the state’s townships. The conflict has displaced nearly half a million people according to United Nations data. Military restrictions on trade routes have exacerbated food shortages in the affected region. Both the military and rebel groups have incorporated drone technology into the ongoing conflict, which has resulted in over 100,000 deaths according to the Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project.
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