At least 33 people were killed and dozens more wounded when a Myanmar military jet bombed a crowded riverside market and bridge in the rebel-controlled town of Kyauktaw in Rakhine State on Monday.
According to the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed resistance group that holds Kyauktaw, the warplane struck the busy commercial center around noon, hitting vendors, commuters, and shoppers. Local rescue workers and aid officials confirmed that at least 36 individuals suffered serious injuries, warning that the casualty figures could climb further as emergency workers sift through the debris. Witnesses on the ground reported scenes of catastrophic destruction, with intense fires consuming market stalls, heavy damage inflicted on the Kissapanadi Bridge, and burned vehicles scattered across cratered streets.
The targeted hub served as a vital wholesale trading route for food and daily necessities in a region severely isolated by ongoing warfare. Relief personnel emphasized that the bustling market was far removed from active battlegrounds and housed no military personnel. Officials from the Arakan Army strongly condemned the bombardment as an unlawful assault against non-combatants and promised to retaliate against those responsible.
Since seizing power in a February 2021 coup, Myanmar's ruling junta has increasingly relied on air power to counter insurgent alliances and pro-democracy opposition across the country. Monday's bombing marks one of the deadliest aerial strikes reported in Rakhine since a hospital was hit late last year. Junta representatives did not issue an immediate comment on the Kyauktaw strike, though the military has routinely denied targeting civilians.