Death toll from Myanmar airstrike in Rakhine state rises to 50 - Prothom Alo English
Smoke rises as fire burns following a Myanmar military airstrike, according to a rebel group that controls the area and a local aid worker, in Kyauktaw, Rakhine State, Myanmar, in this screen grab obtained from a social media video released 28 September 2026. VERIFICATION: Industrial infrastructure, bridge, trees, terrain, and utility tower matched archive and satellite imagery; Exact date could not be verified; Local media reported there was an airstrike in the area on 28 September; Rebel group Arakan Army said 33 people died in an airstrike in Kyauktaw on 28 September; A local aid worker also said the incident happened on 28 September.Social Media via ReutersThe death toll from a Myanmar military airstrike in Rakhine state, which lies on the border with Bangladesh, rose to 50 after rescuers found more bodies on Tuesday, according to a rebel group that controls the area and a local aid worker.
Monday's airstrike in Rakhine state's Kyauktaw town killed 50 people and wounded at least 58, said the Arakan Army, which is battling the military. The numbers were confirmed by aid worker Wai Hun Aung.
Women and children were among the bodies recovered on Tuesday, according to photos shared on social media by Wai Hun Aung.
Arakan Army spokesperson Khine Thu Kha said the military "deliberately targeted densely populated markets, schools, civilians, and residential buildings through airstrikes."
A Myanmar government spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. The military has previously said it "exercises maximum restraint to avoid civilian harm".
Myanmar has been locked in a nationwide civil war since a 2021 coup, with an alliance of armed groups, including the Arakan Army, fighting against the military.
The protracted conflict has since killed around 100,000 people and displaced over 3.5 million in the impoverished Southeast Asian nation.
Khine Thu Kha said the Arakan Army would use all available means to retaliate against the military and anyone involved in the bombing of civilians.
The Kyauktaw air strike is Rakhine's deadliest such attack since a December hospital bombing that killed at least 30 people.
