Myanmar army air strike kills dozens in Rakhine state

An air strike launched by Myanmar's military has killed at least 33 people and injured 36 others in territory held by an ethnic armed group in Rakhine state, according to rescue workers and rebel officials cited by Al Jazeera.

The bombing struck a market area in Kyauktaw, a town in northern Rakhine, around midday on Monday. The Arakan army, the ethnic armed group that controls the area, said a military jet dropped two bombs near the site, killing vendors, shoppers and passersby, and warned that the death toll could still rise.

Wai Hun Aung, a senior rescue official in the state, told the Associated Press that the market functioned as Rakhine's central wholesale hub, attracting traders and customers from across the region. He described the bombing as among the most devastating air strikes the state has experienced.

Images and footage circulated online showed structures engulfed in flames, wrecked vehicles and a partially destroyed bridge near the market. Myanmar's military had not issued a public response by the time of reporting, though it has previously maintained that its operations target only legitimate military sites while labeling opposition fighters as terrorists.

The strike is part of an ongoing military campaign against pro-democracy and ethnic armed factions that has continued since the army seized power in a 2021 coup, toppling the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. The takeover triggered a widespread resistance movement that has since escalated into a civil war pitting the military against a coalition of ethnic and pro-democracy fighting groups.

Min Aung Hlaing, who led the military government following the coup, was installed as president by a parliament backed by the armed forces in April, cementing his authority after five years of army control.

The Arakan army, described by Al Jazeera as a well-organized and heavily armed force, is fighting for greater autonomy for Rakhine's ethnic population. Since launching its offensive in November 2023, the group has seized major military bases and gained control of 14 of the state's 17 townships.

In response to the group's gains, Myanmar's military has tightened restrictions on trade routes into Rakhine, deepening food insecurity in the region. A previous military strike on a hospital in the state's Mrauk U township in December killed at least 33 people and wounded 70 more, according to the report.

United Nations figures indicate that close to half a million people have been driven from their homes in Rakhine because of the fighting. The UN also stated in August that conditions for human rights in Myanmar had deteriorated sharply, pointing to severe mistreatment of the Rohingya minority and the destructive effects of illegal economic activity, including unauthorized mining of rare earth minerals.

Both the military and rebel forces have increasingly turned to drone warfare as the conflict drags on. The Armed Conflict Location and Event Data project estimates the broader civil war has claimed more than 100,000 lives since it began.