Archive · 29 Sep 2026
Myanmar Airstrike Near Kyauktaw Market Kills At Least 50
A military airstrike happened near a busy market in Kyauktaw, Myanmar.
The Arakan Army said a fighter jet dropped two bombs around lunchtime on Monday.
Early reports said 33 people died, but later rescue accounts raised the number to 49 or 50.
At least 58 people were hurt.
Some of the people killed were reportedly traders, shoppers, pedestrians and workers.
Fires damaged the market, vehicles and a nearby bridge.
Families later searched for missing relatives and tried to identify recovered bodies.
The Myanmar military did not immediately comment on this specific attack.
The strike happened during Myanmar’s ongoing civil war.
Reports initially put the death toll at 33, but rescuers and later accounts said 49 to 50 people were killed.
The Arakan Army said a Myanmar military fighter jet dropped two bombs near Kyauktaw’s market around midday Monday.
At least 58 people were reportedly wounded, including 22 critically, according to the Arakan Army.
The market, nearby bridge and surrounding vehicles were damaged, while fires and debris complicated recovery efforts.
The attack occurred amid Myanmar’s civil war, which has displaced nearly 500,000 people in Rakhine and more than 3.5 million nationwide.
- Who
- Civilians at Kyauktaw’s market were killed or injured; the Arakan Army and local rescue officials reported the casualties, while Myanmar’s military was accused of carrying out the strike.
- What
- An airstrike near a market and bridge reportedly killed 49 to 50 people and wounded 58 others.
- When
- Around midday on Monday; additional bodies were reportedly recovered on Tuesday.
- Where
- Kyauktaw township in Rakhine State, western Myanmar, about 340 kilometers west of Mandalay.
- Why
- The strike occurred during fighting between Myanmar’s military and the Arakan Army; the military did not provide a specific explanation for the attack.
Arakan Army and Rescue Accounts
Myanmar Military Position
Responsibility for the strike
Arakan Army and Rescue Accounts
The Arakan Army and local rescue officials attributed the attack to a Myanmar military fighter jet and said two bombs were dropped near the market.
Myanmar Military Position
The military did not specifically respond to the Kyauktaw attack. Its previously stated position is that it strikes legitimate military targets and exercises restraint to avoid civilian harm.
Impact on civilians
Arakan Army and Rescue Accounts
The Arakan Army said vendors, shoppers, pedestrians and cargo workers were among those killed or wounded; witnesses and rescuers also reported bodies, fires and extensive damage.
Myanmar Military Position
The military has said its operations target military objectives rather than civilians, but it did not provide an account of the reported market casualties.
Further retaliation
Arakan Army and Rescue Accounts
The Arakan Army said it would take effective measures against individuals and organizations it held responsible for the bombing and would use available means to retaliate.
Myanmar Military Position
The reports do not describe a specific military response to the Arakan Army’s retaliation threat.
- Reported death toll
- Initial reports said 33 deaths; later accounts from rescuers and the Arakan Army said 49 or 50 people had been killed.
- Reported injuries
- At least 58 people were wounded, including 22 who were reportedly in critical condition.
- Reported responsibility
- The Arakan Army said a Myanmar military fighter jet dropped two bombs near the market.
- Location
- Kyauktaw township in Rakhine State, an area controlled by the Arakan Army.
- Damage
- Fires, damaged vehicles, cratered roads and destruction to part of a nearby bridge were reported.
- Military response
- Myanmar’s military did not immediately comment on the attack; it has previously said it targets legitimate military objectives and seeks to avoid civilian harm.
- Displacement
- Nearly 500,000 people have been displaced in Rakhine, while more than 3.5 million have been displaced across Myanmar, according to figures cited in the reports.
Sources
50 killed in Myanmar airstrike on market as families search for bodies in Rakhine
Myanmar Military Airstrike Kills 33 in Market Area
Myanmar airstrike: At least 49 killed near market in Arakan Army-held area of Rakhine
Airstrike Near a Market in Myanmar's Rakhine State Kills 49 People
