At least 33 people were killed and 36 others injured after an airstrike hit a market and an adjacent bridge in Kyauktaw town in Myanmar’s Rakhine state, according to the Arakan Army. The group warned that the death toll could rise further.
The strike took place around midday, causing extensive damage to the market area. A witness, speaking on condition of anonymity for security reasons, reported seeing more than 30 bodies at the site, with human remains found among burning debris and damaged roads.
Firefighters worked to extinguish the flames and recover victims, while bodies were placed under green plastic sheets at the scene. The Myanmar military could not immediately be reached for comment.
A local market vendor, Khaing Nu, said her younger sister remained missing following the attack. She said the area where her sister sold fruit had been destroyed in the strike.
The attack occurred in one of the most severely affected areas of Myanmar’s ongoing civil war, which began after the military seized power in 2021.
The market in Kyauktaw had developed into an important commercial centre since the conflict escalated. Located near a river crossing linked to the Indian border, the area serves as a key trade route for Rakhine, which has become increasingly isolated from other parts of Myanmar.
A local resident said he took shelter after hearing that fighter jets were approaching. He later reported hearing a powerful explosion and temporarily losing his hearing.
The Arakan Army controls most of Rakhine state, while Myanmar’s military retains control of several urban areas. The military continues to conduct air operations using fighter aircraft supplied by Russia and China.
Rights groups have accused the military of carrying out attacks against civilians at schools, monasteries and religious gatherings, saying some incidents could amount to war crimes. The military has previously denied or disputed allegations of abuses.
United Nations figures indicate that nearly half a million people have been displaced in Rakhine because of the conflict.
Myanmar has remained embroiled in armed conflict since the 2021 military coup, with several resistance groups, including the Arakan Army, fighting government forces across multiple fronts.
The Kyauktaw attack was described by the Arakan Army and local sources as one of the deadliest airstrikes in Rakhine in recent months. It follows an air attack on a hospital in western Rakhine last December that reportedly killed at least 30 people.
