At least 33 people killed in western Myanmar air strike, say rebel group and aid worker
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- At least 33 people were killed and 36 injured in a Myanmar military air strike near a market in Kyauktaw, Rakhine state, according to the Arakan Army and a local aid worker.
- Kyauktaw is far from active fighting zones, and the air strike is one of the deadliest in Rakhine since a hospital attack in December 2025.
- Myanmar has faced ongoing conflict since a 2021 coup, with armed groups like the Arakan Army fighting the military amid widespread turmoil.
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NAYPYIDAW – Dozens of people were killed in a Myanmar military air strike on Sept 28 near a market in the country’s war-torn Rakhine state, which borders Bangladesh, according to a rebel group that controls the area and a local aid worker.
At least 33 people have died and 36 were injured in the air strike in the town of Kyauktaw in Rakhine state, according to the Arakan Army, a rebel group fighting the military.
The number of victims was confirmed by aid worker Wai Hun Aung, who has a team operating in the area.
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.
“This location is quite far from the fighting and has nothing to do with the conflict,” said Wai Hun Aung, referring to Kyauktaw, a riverside town located in the north of the state.
Reuters could not independently verify the details of the incident.
A spokesperson for the Myanmar government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Arakan Army and Wai Hun Aung said the air strike at Kyauktaw was among the deadliest such incidents in Rakhine since an aerial attack at a hospital in the west of the state in December 2025 that killed at least 30 people. REUTERS