10 hrs ago
Conflicting Death Tolls Follow Myanmar Market Airstrike
An airstrike happened near a busy market in Kyauktaw, Myanmar.
The Arakan Army said a military fighter jet dropped two bombs around lunchtime on Monday.
Reports disagree about how many people died and were hurt.
One report said 49 people died and 58 were wounded.
Another report said 33 died and 36 were wounded.
Witnesses saw fires, broken roads, damaged vehicles and many bodies.
Some people, including a market vendor, were still missing.
The military did not immediately comment on this attack.
The strike happened during a larger war that has forced many people in Rakhine to leave their homes.
Reports on Monday’s airstrike near a Kyauktaw market gave conflicting tolls: 49 killed and 58 wounded, or 33 killed and 36 wounded.
The Arakan Army said a Myanmar military fighter jet dropped two bombs near the market around noon.
Witnesses reported more than 30 bodies, burning wreckage, cratered roads and missing people at the scene.
The strike reportedly hit vendors, shoppers and pedestrians, damaging buildings, vehicles and part of a nearby bridge.
The attack occurred amid Myanmar’s civil war, with nearly 500,000 people displaced in Rakhine, according to United Nations data.
- Who
- Civilians at the market were affected; the Arakan Army and a rescue official reported the casualties, while the Myanmar military was accused of carrying out the strike.
- What
- An alleged Myanmar military airstrike near a market and bridge reportedly killed between 33 and 49 people and wounded between 36 and 58.
- Where
- Kyauktaw township in western Rakhine State, an area controlled by the Arakan Army.
- When
- Around noon on Monday, approximately 0530 GMT.
- Why
- The strike occurred amid Myanmar’s civil war; the military did not immediately explain the attack.
Arakan Army and Rescue Accounts
Myanmar Military Position
Responsibility for the strike
Arakan Army and Rescue Accounts
The Arakan Army said a Myanmar military fighter jet dropped two bombs near the market and reported the casualties. A rescue official said workers at the scene confirmed the higher toll.
Myanmar Military Position
The military did not immediately comment on this attack. It has previously said its airstrikes target legitimate military targets and has accused resistance groups of terrorism.
Civilian impact
Arakan Army and Rescue Accounts
The Arakan Army and witnesses said vendors, shoppers and pedestrians were killed or wounded, with buildings, vehicles and a bridge damaged.
Myanmar Military Position
The military’s stated position is that it targets military objectives rather than civilians; it provided no specific response to the Kyauktaw strike.
Key facts
- Higher reported toll
- 49 killed and 58 wounded, according to the Arakan Army and a rescue official
- Lower reported toll
- 33 killed and 36 wounded, according to another Arakan Army statement
- Location
- Near a market and adjacent bridge in Kyauktaw township, Rakhine State
- Reported timing
- Around noon Monday, or approximately 0530 GMT
- Reported damage
- Buildings and vehicles caught fire, roads were cratered, and part of a nearby bridge was destroyed
- Displacement
- Nearly 500,000 people are displaced in Rakhine, according to United Nations data
- Military response
- The Myanmar military did not immediately comment and has previously said it targets only legitimate military targets
Quotes
Khin Myint Chay
A 49-year-old witness to the airstrike
“will take effective retaliatory measures soon against the individuals and organisations directly responsible for the attacks involving deliberate airstrikes that have caused mass casualties.”
deccanchronicle.com
“When I heard that fighter jets were coming, I crouched and hid near the guard post. A short while later, I heard an explosion. After that, I lost my hearing for a while.”
deccanchronicle.com
Sources
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