Myanmar junta airstrike on Rakhine market kills at least 17 civillians

2026-02-26 - 08:53

RAKHINE, MYANMAR — 24 February 2026, At least 17 civillians, including women and children, were killed when a Myanmar military jet bombed a crowded market in Rakhine State on Tuesday afternoon, according to local groups and international media reports. Airstrike hits crowded village market The strike hit Yoe Ngu village in Ponnagyun Township, an area largely controlled by the ethnic armed group known as the Arakan Army (AA). The township lies northeast of Sittwe, the state capital, in western Myanmar. The independent outlet The Irrawaddy reported that two 300-pound bombs were dropped at around 14:00 local time onto the village marketplace. Citing the Ponnagyun Youths Association, a local volunteer group assisting victims, the outlet said at least 18 people were killed and about 15 others wounded. Most of the dead were reportedly women and children, with some victims aged between six and 15. In separate coverage, Al Jazeera, citing local sources and Agence France-Presse (AFP), reported that at least 17 civilians were killed and 14 injured in the same attack. Casualty figures in conflict zones are often difficult to independently verify, and the toll may rise as rescue efforts continue. According to reports, the bombs struck during peak daytime activity at the market. Witnesses described stalls destroyed and nearby homes damaged by the blasts. Local responders said bodies were recovered from the debris as villagers fled the area in panic. Military silent as rights groups condemn strikes The Myanmar military had not issued an official statement on the strike as of press time. The junta has previously said its air operations target armed groups it labels as “terrorists,” but human rights organisations including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have accused the military of carrying out indiscriminate air and artillery attacks in civilian-populated areas, in some cases warning that such actions may amount to war crimes under international law. Rakhine State has seen intensified fighting since late 2023 between the junta and the Arakan Army, one of Myanmar’s most powerful ethnic armed organisations. The AA, which seeks greater autonomy for the ethnic Rakhine population, has seized control of large swathes of territory across the state amid the broader civil war that erupted after the military overthrew the elected government in February 2021. Humanitarian crisis deepens As ground battles have shifted in favour of resistance forces in several regions of the country, the military has increasingly relied on air power and artillery strikes to hit opposition-held areas, according to conflict monitors and humanitarian groups. Rakhine, along with Sagaing and parts of northern Shan State, has experienced repeated aerial bombardments targeting towns, villages and infrastructure. The renewed conflict has compounded an already fragile humanitarian situation in Rakhine State, which was previously the epicentre of violence in 2017 that drove more than 700,000 Rohingya Muslims into neighbouring Bangladesh. Aid agencies say fresh fighting since late 2023 has displaced hundreds of thousands more people of various ethnic communities, while restrictions on transport and communications have complicated relief efforts. The reported strike is one of several air attacks documented in recent years since military takeover, as the armed forces increasingly rely on air power in contested areas. In Rakhine State, fighting between the military and the Arakan Army has intensified in recent months, with civilians frequently caught between shifting front lines.