Myanmar military airstrikes kill eight in Ponnagyun as attacks escalate across Arakan

By Admin 06 Oct 2026

DMG Newsroom

6 October 2026, Ponnagyun

At least eight civilians were killed and 11 others injured in Myanmar military airstrikes on displacement sites and nearby villages in Ponnagyun Township, Arakan State, over two consecutive days, according to the Arakan Army (AA).

The AA said in an October 5 statement that two military jets bombed the Byala internally displaced persons (IDP) camp, between Thayetchho and Yoengu villages, on October 4, killing six displaced civilians and injuring 10 others, five of them seriously.

Shelters and belongings of displaced families, along with motorcycles and motorcycle sidecars, were destroyed by fire, the statement said.

The military carried out further airstrikes on October 5, targeting an IDP camp at Pannila village, the temporary “Saytana” public welfare clinic inside the camp, and Aungphyupyin village, according to the AA.

The AA said military jets bombed the areas for nearly half an hour using cluster munitions and 300-pound bombs.

An 18-year-old trainee nurse, Ma Khine Thazin Soe, suffered a serious shrapnel wound to the head when the temporary clinic was hit and later died while receiving medical treatment.

In Aungphyupyin village, 54-year-old Daw Hla May Thein, who had been displaced from Ponnagyun, was killed by bomb fragments, while another displaced civilian, 63-year-old U Nyi Chay, was wounded in the chest and legs.

The latest attacks come amid an escalation of aerial bombardment across Arakan State following a major airstrike on Kyauktaw on September 28.

That attack struck the India Market and an area near the Kissapanadi Bridge, killing at least 50 civilians and injuring dozens more. Market vendors, shoppers and passersby were among the casualties.

The Myanmar military subsequently carried out airstrikes in Rathedaung, Ponnagyun, Pauktaw, Kyauktaw and Thandwe townships, with further civilian casualties and damage to homes and religious buildings reported.

The AA accused the military of increasingly targeting civilian areas and IDP sites and urged residents across Arakan State to remain on alert for further airstrikes.

The Myanmar military has not publicly responded to the AA’s latest allegations. It has previously said that it seeks to avoid civilian casualties during military operations.