Death toll from Myanmar airstrike in Rakhine state's Kyauktaw rises to 50

The death toll from a Myanmar military airstrike on a market in Kyauktaw, Rakhine state, has risen to 50 after rescue workers recovered more bodies on Tuesday, the Arakan Army and local aid workers said.

At least 58 people were also wounded in Monday’s strike, which hit the riverside commercial hub of Kyauktaw at about midday, the rebel group said. The Arakan Army, which controls almost all of Rakhine apart from a few military-held urban centres, said the victims included innocent passersby, market vendors, shoppers and cargo loaders, and that 22 of the wounded were in a critical condition.

Aid worker Wai Hun Aung confirmed the death toll and shared photographs showing women and children among those recovered. He warned the final figure could be higher, saying some bodies were lost in fires.

The Kisapanadi Bridge in the town was also hit, according to the reports.

Arakan Army spokesperson Khine Thu Kha accused the military of having “deliberately targeted densely populated markets, schools, civilians, and residential buildings through airstrikes”, and said the group would “use all available means to retaliate”. 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 in civil war since the 2021 coup, a conflict that has killed about 100,000 people and displaced more than 3.5 million, Reuters reported.