NEW DELHI: An airstrike by Myanmar's military near a market in rebel-controlled territory in western Rakhine state killed at least 49 people and injured 58 others on Monday, according to the Arakan army and a rescue official.
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The attack took place in Kyauktaw township, about 340 km (210 miles) west of Mandalay, Myanmar’s second-largest city. The area is controlled by the Arakan Army, a powerful ethnic armed group operating in Rakhine.
According to the Arakan Army, a fighter jet dropped two bombs near a local market around noon, killing vendors, shoppers and pedestrians. Of the 58 people injured, 22 were in critical condition, the group said.
Wai Hun Aung, a senior rescue official in Rakhine, confirmed the casualties to The Associated Press, citing rescue workers at the scene. He said the market was the region’s main wholesale centre and attracted traders and shoppers from across the state.
“This is one of the most severe airstrikes in Rakhine,” he said.
