Myanmar market airstrike kills 33, rebels say

A Myanmar military airstrike on a market area in western Rakhine state killed 33 people and wounded 36 on Monday, the Arakan Army rebel group said.

The Arakan Army, which controls the area, said the strike hit a market and adjacent bridge in Kyauktaw town around midday and that the death toll “may continue to increase”.

A witness who asked not to be named for safety reasons saw more than 30 bodies at the scene Monday afternoon, where human remains were visible among smouldering wreckage and cratered roads. The military could not be reached for comment.

Khaing Nu, 57, said her younger sister, a market vendor, remained missing after the strike as firefighters doused flames and bodies were laid out under green plastic sheeting.

The market area has become a centre of commercial activity during Myanmar's civil war. It lies on the banks of a river crossing the Indian border, a trade route for Rakhine, which has become largely cut off from the rest of Myanmar.

Rakhine has faced some of the worst conditions in the civil war that followed Myanmar's 2021 military coup. UN data says nearly 500,000 people are displaced in the state because of the conflict.