At least 33 people were killed and another 36 injured in a Myanmar military airstrike near a market in Kyauktaw, a conflict-hit town in Rakhine State bordering Bangladesh, according to the Arakan Army and a local aid organisation.
The airstrike took place on Monday, Sept 28, according to the Arakan Army (AA), an armed group fighting Myanmar’s military. Local aid worker Wai Hun Aung, whose team is operating in the area, also confirmed the casualty figures.
Wai Hun Aung said the area hit by the attack was far from the main conflict zone and had no connection with the ongoing fighting.
Myanmar has been embroiled in armed conflict since the military seized power by overthrowing the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021. Various armed groups, including the Arakan Army, have since been fighting the military in different parts of the country.
Reuters could not independently verify the accounts provided by the Arakan Army and local aid workers. A spokesperson for the Myanmar government did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The government has previously said the military exercises maximum restraint to avoid civilian casualties.
According to the Arakan Army and Wai Hun Aung, the Kyauktaw strike was among the deadliest recent airstrikes in Rakhine. They compared it with an airstrike on a hospital in western Rakhine in December 2025 that killed at least 30 people.
