Myanmar army air strike kills dozens in Rakhine state — SkimNews
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- Myanmar's military struck a market in Kyauktaw town in northern Rakhine state on Monday; the Arakan army said a fighter jet dropped two bombs near the wholesale centre at noon local time, killing at least 33 people and wounding 36.
- The Arakan army said the death toll "may continue to increase," while senior rescue official Wai Hun Aung called it "one of the most severe airstrikes in Rakhine" and confirmed the market drew traders from across the state.
- The Arakan army has captured 14 of Rakhine's 17 townships since launching an offensive in November 2023, as Myanmar's military faces mounting battlefield losses in the western state.
- Nearly half a million people are displaced in Rakhine due to the conflict, according to UN data, which in August said Myanmar's human rights situation had plummeted to "a new low."
- A December military airstrike on a hospital in Mrauk U township killed at least 33 and wounded 70, mirroring the casualty count from Monday's market strike in a pattern of attacks on civilian-adjacent sites.
- Both rebel groups and Myanmar's military now use drones in the conflict, which has killed more than 100,000 people according to ACLED, while military-imposed trade restrictions have worsened food shortages in Rakhine.
Why it matters: Myanmar's military has lost 14 of Rakhine's 17 townships to the Arakan army, yet its response is escalating aerial bombardment of civilian infrastructure — a December hospital strike killed 33, Monday's market strike killed 33 — as nearly half a million people remain displaced and the military tightens trade routes, worsening food shortages.
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