49 Killed in Kyauktaw Market Airstrike as ULA/AA Condemns Attack and Warns of Retaliation

News ၊ September 29, 2026

Dozens of civilians were killed and injured after a Myanmar military airstrike hit an area near the Indian Market and Kassapanadi Bridge in Kyauktaw, northern Arakan, on September 28, according to the United League of Arakan/Arakan Army (ULA/AA) and local rescue sources.

The ULA/AA said a military fighter jet carried out two airstrikes at approximately 12:10 p.m. and 12:14 p.m., targeting areas around the Indian Market and Kassapanadi Bridge, where civilians were shopping, walking and working.

The ULA/AA's latest statement put the death toll at 49 civilians, with 58 people injured, including at least 22 seriously wounded. The group said those killed included pedestrians, market vendors, shoppers and workers involved in loading and unloading goods.

Earlier reports from Reuters and the Associated Press, based on information from the Arakan Army and local rescue officials, put the death toll at at least 33, with 36 people injured. Reuters reported that the figures were confirmed by local aid worker Wai Hun Aung, although it said it could not independently verify all details of the incident.

The market is a major wholesale trading centre in the region and attracts traders and shoppers from across Arakan, according to rescue officials cited by the Associated Press. Images and videos from the scene showed fires, damaged buildings and vehicles, as well as damage around the nearby bridge.

The ULA/AA described the attack as a deliberate assault on civilians and civilian infrastructure and accused the Myanmar military of repeatedly using airstrikes against populated areas across Arakan.

The group also cited a series of other recent airstrikes in Arakan. According to its statement, an airstrike on an alleged Arakan Army prisoner-of-war facility in Ponnagyun Township on January 20 killed 21 prisoners and family members, while a February 24 attack on a displacement camp and market in Yoe Ngu Village reportedly killed at least 17 civilians. The ULA/AA further alleged that an airstrike on a prison camp in Ann Township on March 8 killed 116 prisoners.

The statement also referred to attacks in Kyintali, Paletwa and several other locations during August and September, presenting them as part of a continuing pattern of aerial attacks against civilian-populated areas.

On September 28, the same day as the Kyauktaw attack, the ULA/AA said military aircraft also attacked Sun Ye Village in Minbya Township and Ngapali in Thandwe Township, causing nine civilian injuries.

The Myanmar military did not immediately comment on the Kyauktaw attack in reports published after the incident.

Kyauktaw is controlled by the Arakan Army, which has been fighting Myanmar's military in Arakan since the conflict escalated in late 2023. The fighting has displaced hundreds of thousands of people across the state and severely disrupted trade and humanitarian access.

In its September 28 statement, the ULA/AA condemned the airstrikes and said it had documented the identities of those it considers responsible, including commanders, personnel who carried out the attacks and associated organizations.

The group said it would pursue what it described as “corresponding and appropriate retaliatory measures” against those responsible.

The conflicting casualty figures could not immediately be independently reconciled. The death toll may also change as rescue and recovery operations continue.