Myanmar Military Airstrike Kills 49 at Rakhine Market

The Myanmar military conducted an airstrike on Monday near a local market and adjacent bridge in Kyauktaw township, Rakhine state. A fighter jet dropped two bombs around noon, striking vendors, shoppers, and pedestrians at the region's primary wholesale center and a vital trade route near the Indian border. The attack destroyed buildings, vehicles, and part of the bridge.

Casualty reports evolved as the situation developed, with initial estimates of 33 deaths rising to at least 49 people killed and 58 others wounded, including 22 in critical condition. Rescue official Wai Hun Aung described the event as one of the most severe airstrikes in Rakhine.

The strike occurred in territory controlled by the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed group seeking autonomy that currently controls 14 of the 17 townships in Rakhine state. The group vowed to take "effective retaliatory measures soon" against those responsible for the mass casualties.

The Myanmar military did not immediately comment on the incident, though it has previously maintained that it only targets legitimate military objectives. This attack is part of a broader civil conflict following the February 2021 military coup that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.