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Myanmar Army Airstrike Kills 33 in Rakhine State
Confirmed
In Short: An air strike by Myanmar's military killed at least 33 people and wounded 36 others near a market in Kyauktaw, Rakhine state.
An air strike by Myanmar's military killed at least 33 people and wounded 36 others near a market in Kyauktaw, Rakhine state, on Monday, according to rebel group officials and a senior rescue official.
The Arakan Army, a rebel group fighting the military, said a fighter jet dropped two bombs near the local market in Kyauktaw at noon local time (0530 GMT), hitting vendors, shoppers, and pedestrians.
The attack comes amid a protracted conflict in Myanmar that has seen nearly half a million people displaced in Rakhine state, according to United Nations data.
The UN has previously cited 'brutal abuse' against the Rohingya minority and the impact of illicit economic activity, including illegal mining for rare earth minerals, as factors contributing to a plummeting human rights situation in Myanmar.
Both rebel groups and Myanmar's military are now using drones in the conflict, which has claimed over 100,000 lives since the 2021 coup that ousted the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi.
Myanmar's military has not commented on the airstrike but has previously stated that it strikes only legitimate military targets and accused resistance groups of 'terrorism'.
What this adds
The incident highlights the ongoing violence in Myanmar, where conflict has displaced nearly half a million people in Rakhine state.
Background
The US military carried out a lethal strike against a high-speed vessel suspected of drug trafficking in the Caribbean Sea, killing four people, US Southern Command said Saturday. The operation targeted a vessel operating along established drug-trafficking routes in the region.
A Russian FPV drone struck a civilian car in Sumy Oblast, killing four people, including two young children.
What's confirmed
- An air strike by Myanmar's military killed at least 33 people and wounded 36 others near a market in Kyauktaw, Rakhine state, on Monday, according to rebel group officials and a senior rescue official.
- The Arakan Army, a rebel group fighting the military, said a fighter jet dropped two bombs near the local market in Kyauktaw at noon local time (0530 GMT), hitting vendors, shoppers, and pedestrians.
- The attack comes amid a protracted conflict in Myanmar that has seen nearly half a million people displaced in Rakhine state, according to United Nations data.
- The UN has previously cited 'brutal abuse' against the Rohingya minority and the impact of illicit economic activity, including illegal mining for rare earth minerals, as factors contributing to a plummeting human rights situation in Myanmar.
- Both rebel groups and Myanmar's military are now using drones in the conflict, which has claimed over 100,000 lives since the 2021 coup that ousted the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi.
- Myanmar's military has not commented on the airstrike but has previously stated that it strikes only legitimate military targets and accused resistance groups of 'terrorism'.
What's still developing
- “This is one of the most severe airstrikes in Rakhine,” he said.
- Myanmar has been in turmoil since a 2021 coup triggered a civil war, with a collection of armed groups-including the Arakan Army-fighting the military across multiple frontlines.