Death Toll Reaches 50 in Military Airstrike in Myanmar

October 13, Kyaukhtaw (Myanmar) (RASAS/AFP) – The death toll from ongoing military airstrikes in western Myanmar has risen to 50 as of Tuesday, according to aid workers operating on the ground. Eyewitnesses report that on Monday, the military bombed a commercial area along the riverside in Kyaukhtaw city, Rakhine State, initially killing around 30 people. Sources now confirm that the number of fatalities has reached 50, with 58 individuals injured.

Aid worker Y Hein Aung warned that the death toll could increase further, as some bodies remain unaccounted for following fires caused by the bomb blasts. A second local volunteer, who wished to remain anonymous for security reasons, also confirmed the number of deaths. Attempts to contact Myanmar’s military for comment on the attack have so far been unsuccessful. The local ethnic rebel group controlling the area, the Arakan Army (AA), reported on Tuesday that 58 people were injured, 49 confirmed dead, and 22 critically wounded.

The statement indicated that the victims included innocent traders, shopkeepers, and cargo loaders. Since the military coup in 2021, the civil war in Myanmar has intensified, turning marketplaces and surrounding areas into active conflict zones, as seen in Monday’s airstrike. Rakhine has been severely affected by the war and remains largely isolated from the rest of Myanmar, while Indian trade continues to thrive there. Using Russia- and China-made fighter jets, the military still controls several urban centers, but nearly the entire Rakhine region is under rebel control.

The air raid has also been accused of targeting schools, monasteries, and civilians gathered for religious festivals, which human rights groups suggest could constitute war crimes. The conflict has displaced approximately 50,000 people in Rakhine, according to United Nations data. Conflict monitor ACDL reports that since the overthrow of Aung San Suu Kyi’s government in 2021, the ongoing violence in Myanmar has resulted in over 100,000 deaths.