Myanmar Military Airstrikes Kill 8 in Rakhine Displacement Camps

The Myanmar military conducted airstrikes on two camps for internally displaced people in Ponnagyun township, Rakhine State, on October 4 and 5, killing eight people and injuring 13. A strike on Sunday evening killed six and injured 11, while a subsequent attack on Monday morning killed two and injured two others. These strikes follow a separate military attack near a market in Kyauktaw one week prior that killed 50 people.

These events are part of a broader escalation in aerial bombardments across Rakhine State. On September 28, a Y-12 utility aircraft from the Magway airbase dropped three bombs on Sunye Village in Minbya Township, injuring eight civilians. Between September 17 and September 27, junta aircraft targeted nine townships, resulting in at least six civilian deaths and 16 injuries.

The Arakan Army and local observers attribute the intensified air campaign to military setbacks on the ground as the regime struggles to retake Thandwe and Gwa townships. The Arakan Army has accused the junta of deliberately targeting schools and medical facilities. While the Myanmar government has previously claimed the military exercises maximum restraint to avoid civilian harm, humanitarian efforts remain hindered by transport blockades and strikes on clinics.