A military airstrike in western Myanmar has resulted in the deaths of seven civilians, among them a five-year-old child, according to accounts from a witness and a rescue worker on Thursday.
The incident occurred on Wednesday afternoon in the town of Kyauktaw, located in Rakhine State near the border with Bangladesh. Naing Win Lwin, a local rescue worker, stated that three military jets launched a bombardment involving nine bombs starting at approximately 3:00 pm (0830 GMT). The attack also left 15 individuals wounded.
The Myanmar military has not provided a response to requests for comment regarding the operation.
By Thursday, the charred remains of buildings in Kyauktaw were still smouldering. Resident shopkeeper Htay Htay, 48, recounted the tragic loss of her husband. She explained that he had apparently entered their home to search for her during the raid. “Only later, when they brought out his body, did I find him,” she said, adding that she was left “with no words to say”.
Myanmar has been gripped by civil war since the 2021 military coup, which removed the elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi and ended a decade of democratic progress. Human rights groups have frequently accused the junta of targeting civilians during aerial campaigns conducted with Chinese and Russian-made jets intended to combat ethnic minority armies and pro-democracy guerrillas.
In Rakhine, the Arakan Army, an ethnic minority faction also accused of wartime atrocities, currently maintains control over nearly the entire state. However, analysts note that a military blockade on the region has severely exacerbated the conflict’s impact, leading to a humanitarian crisis.
The latest strike coincides with a five-day diplomatic visit to China by coup leader Min Aung Hlaing. This trip marks his first state visit since being appointed president following restricted elections earlier this year, a transition that democracy monitors have dismissed as a tactic to rebrand his ongoing authority.
Despite the internal turmoil, Beijing has reaffirmed its support for the junta. In a joint statement issued late Wednesday, China declared it “firmly supports the Myanmar side in realising national peace and stability, national reconciliation, social harmony and lasting peace”.
