An airstrike on a crowded market in the Rakhine State town of Kyauktaw killed at least 49 people and wounded nearly 60 others on Monday, in the deadliest aerial attack in the state since the current conflict began nearly three years ago.
Two bombs struck the market shortly after noon, according to a statement from the United League of Arakan (ULA), the political wing of the Arakan Army (AA). Children and pregnant women were among the dead and wounded, the group said.
The market, known locally as the Indian market because many of its goods are imported from India, draws shoppers from across northern Rakhine State. Many of its vendors are people displaced by fighting in other parts of the state, including Buthidaung, Maungdaw, Sittwe and Ponnagyun townships, according to locals.
Witnesses said the first bomb exploded in the crowded market area, while the second struck the nearby Kissapanadi Bridge. . .
Subscribe for full access
Myanmar Now's award-winning journalism is made possible by our subscribers. Become one today.
Already a subscriber? Log in
