Myanmar market airstrike death toll hits 50, aid workers say

KYAUKTAW, Myanmar — The death toll from a military airstrike on a busy market in Kyauktaw town, Rakhine state, has reached 50, according to two local aid workers who witnessed the attack. The initial casualty count was around 30 when it was first reported on Monday. Wai Hun Aung, an aid worker, warned that the final death toll could be higher due to some bodies being lost in subsequent fires.

A second volunteer provided the same death toll and requested anonymity for security reasons. Myanmar's military has not commented on the incident. The Arakan Army, a local ethnic rebel group, reported 49 fatalities and 58 more injured, with 22 in critical condition. The victims were described as "innocent passersby, market vendors, shoppers and cargo loaders."

The market and adjacent bridge had been bustling with trade since civil war erupted in Myanmar following a military coup in 2021. Rakhine has endured some of the worst conditions in the conflict, with the market relying on a river trade route to India. The Arakan Army controls almost all of Rakhine, except for a few urban centers still defended by the military, which is accused of committing atrocities against civilians, including attacks on schools, monasteries, and religious festivals that could be considered war crimes.

Nearly half-a-million people have been displaced in Rakhine due to the conflict, and over 100,000 have been killed since the 2021 coup, according to conflict monitor ACLED.