Junta airstrike destroys Yoe Creek Bridge, kills seven in Kyauktaw

By Admin 02 Nov 2026

DMG Newsroom

2 November 2026, Kyauktaw

Vital regional transport routes have been severely disrupted after the Yoe Creek Bridge in Kyauktaw Township, Arakan State, was destroyed in an airstrike carried out by the military junta.

At around 5:00 p.m. on November 1, junta jet fighters dropped two bombs on the approach to the Yoe Creek Bridge on the Wa Taung Village side. The bridge is located along the Kyauktaw–Ponnagyun section of the Yangon–Sittwe Road.

The airstrike killed seven travelers and injured 10 others.

The bridge's superstructure was severely damaged, while motorcycles, sidecars, residential houses and local shops in the immediate vicinity were also damaged or destroyed.

"The bridge is completely wrecked and impassable," a local resident who inspected the site told DMG. "The bridge spans and deck panels have been blown apart, forcing a complete closure of the highway. The bridge is beyond repair in the short term, and rebuilding it will take a long time."

The Yoe Creek Bridge is a 420-foot-long Bailey-type bridge.

The bombed site also serves as a vital transit jetty where travelers from the Yoe Creek basin board vehicles to reach townships such as Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U and Ponnagyun. The attack therefore caused heavy casualties among drivers, commuters and local vendors.

"This location serves as a major ferry terminal," another local resident said. "People traveling by motorized boat from the upper Yoe Creek area catch vehicles here to reach other towns. This bombing destroyed the bridge and left residents terrified. This is a deliberate, terrorist attack intended to inflict maximum suffering on civilians."

Residents of Ponnagyun, Sittwe, Rathedaung, Buthidaung and Maungdaw townships who rely on this transport route reported facing severe transportation and mobility challenges.

"Facing defeat in Sittwe, the military is deliberately destroying roads and bridges," a Kyauktaw resident said. "It is a deliberate act to cause misery for civilians. I view this as a truly vicious and malicious act by the regime."

On November 1 alone, junta airstrikes targeted Kyauktaw, Mrauk-U, Werathani and Kyaukphyu townships, killing 12 people, including a newborn infant, and injuring 32 others.

The military regime routinely carries out airstrikes targeting public roads, bridges, hospitals, clinics and residential neighbourhoods.

On September 28, the regime also bombed the Kisspanadi Bridge in Kyauktaw.

Similarly, during previous conflicts, military forces systematically destroyed public bridges across Maungdaw, Buthidaung, Ann, Taungup, Thandwe and Gwa townships.