At least 49 people were killed and 58 others injured after an airstrike by Myanmar’s military struck near a market in western Rakhine state on Monday, according to the Arakan Army and a local rescue official. The attack took place in an area controlled by the powerful ethnic armed group and was among the latest deadly airstrikes reported during Myanmar’s ongoing conflict.

The strike occurred in Kyauktaw township, around 340 kilometres west of Mandalay, at about noon, according to the Arakan Army. The group said a fighter jet dropped two bombs near a local market, hitting vendors, shoppers and pedestrians. The reported casualties could not be independently verified.

Airstrike Hits Market Area In Rakhine

In a statement issued early Tuesday, the Arakan Army said 49 people had been killed and 58 wounded in the attack. It said 22 of those injured were in critical condition.

Wai Hun Aung, a senior rescue official in Rakhine, confirmed the casualty figures to The Associated Press, citing rescue workers who were at the scene.

He said the market was the region’s main wholesale centre and attracted traders and shoppers from across Rakhine state.

“This is one of the most severe airstrikes in Rakhine,” Wai Hun Aung said.

Photographs and videos circulated on social media showed buildings on fire, damaged vehicles and sections of a nearby bridge that had been destroyed.

The Myanmar military did not immediately comment on the reported attack. The military has previously said its airstrikes target legitimate military positions and has accused resistance groups of terrorism.

Arakan Army Threatens Retaliation

The Arakan Army said the attack had caused mass casualties among people in the market area and warned that it would respond against those responsible.

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.”

The Arakan Army is the military wing of a broader movement seeking greater autonomy for Rakhine’s ethnic minority from Myanmar’s central government.

The group launched a major offensive in Rakhine in November 2023. Since then, it has captured a strategically important regional military headquarters as well as 14 of the state’s 17 townships.

The fighting has intensified the humanitarian pressures facing the region, with severe restrictions on trade routes imposed by the military contributing to worsening food shortages.

Myanmar Conflict Continues

Myanmar has remained embroiled in conflict since the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi on February 1, 2021.

The coup triggered widespread opposition. After security forces used lethal force to suppress peaceful protests, many opponents of military rule took up arms, contributing to fighting across large parts of the country between the military, ethnic armed organisations and resistance groups.

Rakhine has been among the areas heavily affected by the fighting. The Arakan Army’s territorial gains have brought it into sustained conflict with the military, while restrictions on movement and trade have further affected civilians.

The latest airstrike follows another deadly military attack in Rakhine. In December, an airstrike on a hospital in Mrauk-U township killed at least 34 people and injured 80 others.

The latest reported casualties add to the continuing toll of Myanmar’s conflict, with civilians repeatedly caught up in fighting between the military and armed groups.

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