Guwahati: At least 49 people were killed and 58 others injured after Myanmar’s military carried out an airstrike near a market in the rebel-held Kyauktaw area of western Rakhine state on Monday, according to rescue workers and the Arakan Army.
The attack took place around noon local time, when a military aircraft reportedly dropped two bombs near a market in Kyauktaw, an area controlled by the Arakan Army.
The Arakan Army said those killed included market vendors, shoppers and pedestrians. It warned that the death toll could rise further as rescue and recovery operations continued.
Wai Hun Aung, a senior rescue official in Rakhine, confirmed the reported casualties to the Associated Press. He said the market serves as a major wholesale centre for the region and attracts traders and customers from across Rakhine.
“This is one of the most severe airstrikes in Rakhine,” he said.
Images and videos shared on social media showed fires in the area, damaged vehicles and destruction to a nearby bridge following the attack.
Myanmar’s military did not immediately issue a statement on the incident. The military has previously maintained that its air operations target legitimate military positions and has accused resistance groups of engaging in terrorism.
The latest attack comes amid the prolonged conflict that has gripped Myanmar since the military ousted the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi in a 2021 coup.
The coup triggered widespread armed resistance, which has since developed into a nationwide conflict involving the military, ethnic armed organisations and pro-democracy groups.