Myanmar Military Airstrike on Market Kills Nearly 50

The Myanmar military carried out an airstrike near a market in Kyauktaw, Rakhine State, on Monday, September 28, killing at least 49 people and injuring 58 others, according to reports on September 29. The airstrike, which dropped two bombs near the western town controlled by armed anti-government groups, marks one of the latest aerial operations targeting pro-democracy forces and ethnic armed groups across the country since the military seized power in 2021. The Arakan Army, an influential ethnic armed organization in Rakhine State, reported on Tuesday morning that the strike occurred around noon on Monday near Kyauktaw, approximately 340 kilometers west of Mandalay, killing merchants and civilians passing through the area. Among the 58 injured, 22 were seriously wounded. The Arakan Army stated it would take effective countermeasures soon against those directly responsible for the deliberate bombing that caused numerous deaths and injuries. Wai Hun Aung, a senior Rakhine State rescue official, confirmed the casualty figures based on data from local emergency responders and described the attack as one of the most severe airstrikes in Rakhine State. The Arakan Army, a well-trained and well-armed military force of an ethnic minority autonomy movement in Rakhine State, has over the past three years seized strategically important regional military headquarters and taken control of 14 of the state's 17 towns.