Airstrike on market and bridge in Kyauktaw leaves at least 49 dead

At least 49 people were killed in a heavy airstrike by the Myanmar military on a market and a bridge in the western state of Rakhine, according to eyewitnesses and local media. Almost 60 others were injured, many of them seriously. The attack occurred on Monday afternoon (local time) in the city of Kyauktaw.

A fighter plane attacked the area around the so-called India Market and the nearby Kassapanadi Bridge, reported the broadcaster DVB TV and the ethnic rebel group Arakan Army, which has been fighting against the military for years. “The fighter jet dropped bombs a total of three times,” said 33-year-old Kyaw Moe, who lives in the city, to the German Press Agency.

The market is considered an important trading center for the region. Rakhine is largely cut off from the rest of Myanmar because of the civil war in the former Burma and army-imposed restrictions on trade routes. According to their own statements, the population is therefore dependent on supply routes via neighboring countries.

Repeated attacks on civilian targets

Kyauktaw is controlled by the Arakan Army (AA), an armed ethnic organization fighting for greater autonomy for Rakhine. The military initially did not comment on the attack. Human rights activists have long accused the armed forces of targeting places that are not directly related to military operations - including schools, hospitals, markets and residential areas.

Since the 2021 coup, Myanmar has been in a serious crisis. The ouster of the elected government of Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi triggered nationwide protests and an ongoing armed conflict. Since then, violence, economic decline and resistance against the junta have characterized the country.