Junta airstrikes push civilian casualties in Arakan State, Paletwa past 100 in August

By Admin 25 Aug 2026

DMG Newsroom

25 August 2026, Thandwe

Air attacks by the military junta in areas controlled by the Arakan Army in Arakan State and Paletwa Township in Chin State killed 33 civilians and injured 78 others between August 2 and August 24, according to figures compiled by DMG.

The recorded casualties include 19 dead and 40 injured in Thandwe Township, eight dead and nine injured in Gwa Township, one injured in Rathedaung Township, as well as six dead and 28 injured in Paletwa Township, Chin State.

Women and children account for the majority of those killed or injured in the bombings.

Experiencing setbacks on military, political and diplomatic fronts, the military junta is terrorizing Arakan State through unprovoked airstrikes, said Captain Zin Yaw, a military defector.

"Arakan State is facing the worst situation, where non-military targets are being struck. Junta forces cannot establish a foothold on the ground in Arakan State. In other regions, they deploy ground troops first and use air support during battles. What is happening here is not mere air support in combat; it is aerial terrorism," Captain Zin Yaw said in an exclusive interview with DMG.

Desperately trying to retake territory controlled by the Arakan Army, the military junta has intensified airstrikes across areas controlled by the Arakan Army.

Airstrike tactics have also shifted, with single bombardment operations involving hundreds of dropped bombs and lasting from 20 minutes to over an hour.

Military and political observers view the targeting of civilians as a deliberate strategy to create pressure on the Arakan Army.

"Daily airstrikes across Arakan State naturally create panic among the public. That is precisely what the junta intends. They calculate that if the public is terrified, people will bring pressure to bear on the Arakan Army in one way or another," writer Wai Hun Aung, a social aid worker, told DMG.

During its 100-day peace plan period, the military junta conducted continuous bombing raids on Arakan State, attempting to force the Arakan Army into peace talks through military pressure.

In July, civilian casualties from military airstrikes also surged, leaving 22 dead and 66 injured.

Ongoing bombardment by the military junta leaves residents in Arakan State without safety, living in daily terror and deprived of their fundamental right to life.