At least 33 people have been killed and 36 others injured in an airstrike by Myanmar’s military near a market in Kyauktaw, a conflict-hit town in Rakhine State close to the Bangladesh border, according to the Arakan Army and a local relief worker.
The Arakan Army (AA), which is fighting Myanmar’s military and controls much of the area, said the airstrike hit the market in Kyauktaw and caused the casualties.
Wei Hun Aung, the head of a charity working at the market, also confirmed the reported death toll.
Kyauktaw is a riverside town in northern Rakhine. Wei Hun Aung said the area was located well away from the main battlefield and was not directly connected to the ongoing fighting.
The reported casualties could not be independently verified. Myanmar’s military authorities did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the airstrike.
Myanmar’s authorities have previously said that the military exercises maximum restraint to avoid civilian casualties during its operations.
The latest incident comes amid continuing fighting between Myanmar’s military and several armed groups across the country. The conflict intensified following the military coup in February 2021, when the armed forces ousted the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi.
The Arakan Army and Wei Hun Aung said an airstrike on a hospital in western Rakhine last December killed at least 30 people. They described the Kyauktaw attack as the deadliest airstrike in Rakhine since that incident.
COMMENTS