Politics
At least 33 people were killed and 36 injured in a military airstrike near a market in Myanmar’s conflict-hit Rakhine State.
At least 33 people were killed and 36 injured in a military airstrike near a market in Myanmar’s conflict-hit Rakhine State. According to Reuters, Myanmar’s military carried out an airstrike near a market close to the Bangladesh border in the troubled Rakhine State, killing and injuring dozens of people. The airstrike occurred in the town of Kyauktaw, in Rakhine State, where at least 33 people were reportedly killed and 36 injured. A local aid worker operating in the area also confirmed the reported number of casualties.
The Arakan Army, an armed group fighting Myanmar’s military, said at least 33 people were killed and 36 injured in the airstrike. The Arakan Army controls large parts of Rakhine State and has been engaged in armed conflict with Myanmar’s military. Local aid worker Wai Hnin Aung also confirmed the death toll. He said his team was carrying out relief activities in the Kyauktaw area and had gathered information about the damage caused by the attack. Wai Hnin Aung said the attack in Kyauktaw took place in an area located far from the ongoing fighting. According to him, “The location is quite far from the fighting and has nothing to do with the conflict.” Kyauktaw is a riverside town in northern Rakhine State. According to the Arakan Army and a local aid worker, the airstrike was among the deadliest recent airstrikes in Rakhine State. Reuters reported that an airstrike on a hospital in western Rakhine State last December killed at least 30 people. Reuters was unable to independently verify details of the incident. A spokesperson for Myanmar’s government also did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment. Myanmar’s government has previously said that its military takes maximum precautions to avoid harming civilians.
Meanwhile, Reuters reported that Myanmar’s military-backed government has arrested 21 people for allegedly transferring money to an online fundraising platform. The state-run Global New Light of Myanmar reported that those arrested were accused of providing financial support to an online fundraising platform linked to the opposition National Unity Government (NUG). According to state media, authorities have also identified more than 2,700 people who allegedly provided financial support to a website called People’s Revolution Supply Family (PRF), which was established by the National Unity Government. The report said the arrested individuals live in different townships across Myanmar and will face legal proceedings. Authorities also said investigations would continue and that financial accounts linked to the funding would be closed and confiscated. The National Unity Government did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
